


Dreaming Big

by BlackHunter666



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Desertion, Gen, M/M, Massiffs, Minor Angst, Smut, Trouble on Coruscant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 19:32:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 59,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4031941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's life as usual for the Coruscant Guard...or is it? </p><p>Another RP that got away from us, we'd really love to hear your thoughts.</p><p>Claradala played K'uur (oc) & Others<br/>BlackHunter played Ponds, Coruscant Guards and Lawquane family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Sergeant, do you have any idea of what your crazy massiff have done to my fatigues?!"

"In his defence, Sir, I did warn you that it wasn't a good idea to send me out without Grizzer."

"Might I remind you that this was all on Commander Fox's command, and not mine? Don't you feed the animal enough, sergeant?!"

"He's just bored, Sir. He needs a lot of stimulation every day. Since I was not here to walk Grizzer and ensure he was properly stimulation, he found his own entertainment."

In the meantime, Grizzer sat at Hound's feet, drooling happily all over the sergeant's boots. Thorn glared angrily at the pair. "Then make sure to get the thing out of my sight before I bring it Fox's fatigues. Believe me; you won't like his reaction to getting his clothes eaten."

"You might be a little too late with that threat, Sir." said as Grizzer brings up a piece of Fox's helmet. "Oh kriff."

Thorn's eyes widened as he realized just what the little monster had been up to. Then he had to stifle a laugh. Boy was he looking forward to see this. "I hope you've got something to say for yourself, sergeant, because you'll need it. Your massiff just ruined the property of two GAR commanders."

"Uhhhh.....just remember how many criminals he's helped us to catch."  
Grizzer just looks up; tongue lolling out and a dopey look on his face

"You tell Fox that once he sees his bucket." Thorn said with a not so little smug smirk on his face. He wouldn't miss that massiff, that was for sure.

"I have a feeling Commander Fox won't be so harsh considering everything. Or have you forgotten the incident with the intoxicated speeder driver and Commader Fox's close call. He'd be dead if not for Grizzer grabbing his kama and yanking him out of the way." Hound countered, hoping against all odds that he was right but still confident Fox would back him up.

Thorn...hadn't considered that. As much of a stick-up-the-shebs as Commander Fox were when it came to rules, Fox never forgot a debt. And as ridiculous as it sounded, Fox owed the damn little monster one for saving his life. Thorn's expression only darkened as the massiff made a happy sound at the mention of Fox, as if the man were the animal's best playmate.

Hound just smirked, watching the rising storm in Thorn's eyes and knowing that he had Thorn backed into a corner this time. It wasn't often that a lowly trooper got the better of a superior but when it happened, it felt so good. Of course, he wasn't going to say anything about this victory to his brothers, morale was already down and he had no intention of making it worse.  
"If there is nothing else, Sir, I have no doubt I have a mess to clean up after all of this." Hound offered, ever the respectful trooper waiting for permission to leave. "I will make certain to apologise personally to anyone else who was affected by Grizzer's poor behaviour."

"You owe me a pair of new fatigues," Thorn finally snarled in defeat. "And you better bring your monster out of my sight before I make a mat out of it to give to Senator Amidala."  
"And make sure to check on your poor brother that you named monster sitter. I'm fairly certain that your massiff managed to pull his arms out of their sockets as they went for a walk."

"I'll have a new set delivered to your quarters, Sir." Hound replied, snapping off a salute and walking past his irate senior. "Come on Grizzer, show me your toys."  
Grizzer yowled happily and trotted after Hound, tongue hanging out as he padded across the pristine floor. Really, Thorn had no reason to be so angry; it was a well known fact that it was a stupid mistake to send a massiff handler out on duty without his companion. Looking back over his shoulder at the parting comment from Thorn, Hound nodded and tapped two fingers to his forehead in a lazy salute.  
"Not my fault he couldn't handle it. Duke promised he could handle Grizzer, so any injuries are his own fault."  
Wandering away with Grizzer padding along beside him, Hound paused at the sound of Thorn swearing behind him and dared to turn around. He had to bite his lip to stifle a laugh as he spotted Thorn staring at the massiff poop he'd just stepped in.  
"Oh kriff. Let's go Grizzer, before he really does try to skin you."

"Oh really?" Thorn said, raising an eyebrow at that remark. "Because I could've sworn that it was your precious squad brother K'uur that your massiff used as a rag doll." Thorn was going to skin the monster, just not now. But force save the massiff once the time was right...  
As he noticed the huge, messy pile of massiff poop that he had stepped in, Thorn swore in all languages he could recall. That was it!

"K'uur wouldn't go near Grizzer! He was bitten by Raven's massiff Cub last year, he's been scared of 'em ever since!" Hound countered before disappearing around the corner. Someone really needed to pull Thorn's head out of his ass

Really? He could've sworn that it had been K'uur, aka Commander Ponds' lover boy at the end of the leash...but never mind. His foot was still covered in massiff poop. Things didn't get better once Hound disappeared around the corner and he was left alone to deal with the uncontrollable laughter of Thire.

Jogging down the corridor, following the trail of destruction Grizzer had left out of sheer boredom; Hound couldn't help but wonder what had possessed Commander Fox to send him out without his partner. Everyone knew it was unwise to send one without the other, a point that had only been proven after the infamous incident with Devil and his massiff Hump. Senator Organa still wouldn't come back to the Guard HQ after that disaster.

The sound of a panting massiff brought K'uur up from the reg manual he had been reading. He was just about to flee the field when he heard accompanying footsteps, and in the next moment Hound had rounded the corner. Smiling brightly, the tattooed ARF went to greet him. 

"Hey Hound! Grizzer caused quite a mess while you were away." 

K'uur might've been afraid of most massiffs, but he would never fear Grizzer. He had known the animal as long as Hound had, and he has grown quite fond of it over the years.

"Yeah, I heard all about that K'uur. Commander Thorn just tore me a new one about it. Mentioned something about someone getting hurt trying to walk Grizzer earlier. I know Duke offered to care for Grizz while I was out but he seemed to think it was you." Hound shrugged, looking down at his partner. "I have no idea how I'm meant to explain what happened to Commander Fox's helmet."  
"The piece stuck on your boot isn't enough explanation?" K'uur asked, pointing to the red and white fragment stuck on Hound's left boot.  
"The problem is I don't know where the rest of it is. I'm assuming most is still in Grizzer's stomach." Hound groaned, plucking the piece off his boot and looking at it. "I'm so dead."

K'uur laughed at that. It was not the first time Hound had gotten in trouble for Grizzer's mischief, and thankfully K'uur was used to deal with them. He reached out to pat Hound on the shoulder, giving his closest brother a sympathetic smile. 

"I could talk to Ponds if you want. I'm sure he'd be able to help you. And if nothing else, he can't say no to me." K'uur added with a wink, reaching down to pat Grizzer on his head.  
"And now that you mention it, I didn't exactly walk with Grizzer. I was supposed to hold him while Duke went to relieve himself...and well...it all went to haran from there."

"Ah, yeah he can be a bit of a handful at times. My guess, he spotted something interesting and went for it. I just hope he didn't hurt you too much." Hound nodded, looking down at the source of all his trouble.  
"Hound!" Fox's voice echoed through the barracks, sending a finger of fear down Hound's spine.  
"Oh kriff, now I'm in for it." Hound gulped, hurrying over to his bunk to grab Grizzer's working harness.

Harnessing Grizzer quickly and making sure it was done properly, Hound wrapped the leash around his forearm and clenched his free hand around the helmet fragment he had. There was nothing for it, he would just have to take his punishment like a man and hope that he didn't get in too much trouble. Surely Fox wouldn't let Thorn hurt Grizzer...hopefully.  
"Sergeant Hound reporting, Sir!" Hound called, hauling ass to the door and snapping to attention

This morning had not begun well for Fox. All morning complaints about a massiff going bananas had dropped into his office, and Fox had had a fairly good idea of who said massiff belonged to. He had expected Duke to handle the situation properly, but when he had found his helmet later that day, torn to pieces at that, Fox temper had snapped. Now that the owner was back on Coruscant, Fox had all intentions of questioning him. 

"Sergeant!" he glared hard at Hound as he spoke. "I found my helmet ruined this afternoon. Is this possibly the handiwork of your massiff?"

"Yes Sir. He spit this up on my boot earlier." Hound nodded, opening his palm to reveal the red and white fragment. "I honestly thought Duke could control him, especially with K'uur to help him out. I've already been reprimanded by Commander Thorn for this incident and owe him a new set of fatigues to pay for the damage done."  
Grizzer picked that moment to arch his back and retch up another couple of fragments of Fox's helmet, the pieces clattering across the deck in a foul puddle.

Fox took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, but failed miserably as the massiff spat up the remnants of his helmet. 

"Is there something...particular that set your massiff off?" he said with a dangerously low voice, giving Hound the glare that usually was reserved for scaring shinies.

Swallowing quickly at the sight of that dark glare, Hound resisted the urge to tug at his collar and looked down as another piece rolled across the deck to stop against Fox's boot. He had a fairly good idea what had set Grizzer off but with no proof, he'd be risking his career and possibly his life by speaking up. But he couldn't ignore that tone, not after he'd seen what it could do to a full company of shinies.  
"I have an idea Sir but I can prove nothing." he offered, trying to avoid getting multiple senior officers annoyed at him at once.

"Well?!" Fox questioned, feeling more and more annoyed by the minute. "I don't want this to happen again, I do prefer my helmet intact."   
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking back and forth at Hound and Grizzer. The massiff did look...kind of adorable where it sat at his master's feet with its tongue hanging out of his mouth. The massiff had saved his life once, but he still weren't quite ready to forgive it for chewing up his helmet.

"Grizz, you really know how to get me in trouble." Hound uttered, looking down at his partner for a moment. "Sir, the rumour mill may have mentioned something about Commander Thorn looking into ways to send a massiff into a frenzy. I can neither confirm nor deny the rumours but if he did, well that would explain everything."

While not the complete truth, it was as close to it as he felt comfortable admitting. He was absolutely certain Thorn would have him scrubbing the 'freshers with a dental brush if he found out about this but he was not going to take the blame. He had known all along that Grizzer would resist anyone else trying to control him but this was beyond Grizzer's usual behaviour

Fox raised a brow at this. That sounded like utter nonsense to him. Why would Thorn, a respected leader of the Guard, work to destroy one of their greatest assets? 

"Are you absolutely certain of this?" Fox asked slowly. "It's not...mating season or some osik like that? I read somewhere that that tends to make most male animals go a little crazy."

"Mating season...." Hound repeated, trying to recall the calendar he kept inside his footlocker. "No Sir, that's not for another couple of months. I keep a careful eye on the mating schedule and make certain to keep Grizzer away from most people when it's time."  
"Hound...uh, sorry Sir!" Devil called, snapping to attention when he saw Fox standing there and bringing Hump in close to his legs.

Suddenly broken out of his train of thought by the sudden interruption, Fox eyed the newly arrived handler and his accompanying massiff. The pair looked a lot like Hound and Grizzer, and Fox feared that this would be the source of another one of his massive headaches...

"At ease." he said to Devil, indicating for the trooper to calm himself. Part of Fox wondered why all handlers had such...curious names. "What brings you here, trooper?"

"I overheard the threats made towards Hound and Grizzer and wished to make certain everything was under control. Hound is a good man and this behaviour is out of ordinary for Grizzer." Devil replied, looking over at the other handler.  
"Damn it." Hound uttered, his plans to keep the threats off record going up in smoke.

Raising his brow even further at those words, Fox couldn't help but to think of this as another fine mess. Looking sharply at Devil, he made sure that he had the man's full attention before he spoke again. 

"As much as I appreciate it, I think I'll be the judge of that myself." His words stung as sharply as his glare, indicating to the man that this indeed was a good time for him to leave. He wanted to speak of this in private, out of the reach for the prying eyes of his men.

"Yes Sir." Devil replied, snapping to attention again. "Just remember Hound, he tries anything and we'll all back you up."  
"Not helping Devil." Hound hissed, glaring at him for a moment. "I don't need help digging my own grave."  
"I'll say something nice at the funeral." Devil smirked, turning and walking away. "Come on Hump, let's go take a walk."

As Devil left, Fox turned to Hound once more, this time nailing him with his glare. He couldn't have his handlers keeping secrets from him. It was time to get to the bottom of this. "If you don't mind me asking, care to explain what that all was about?" Fox said in his most authoritative voice. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

Mentally swearing revenge on Devil for dropping him in this mess, Hound squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, bracing for the worst that could come of this. It was down to his word against Thorn's and he could only pray that Fox would take his exemplary record into account before sending him to Kamino. Thorn would surely have his head for this, Hound had no doubt about that.  
"After Commander Thorn dressed me down for Grizzer chewing up his fatigues, he dismissed us and I distinctly heard him state that if I didn't remove Grizzer from his sight he was going to skin him as a mat for Senator Amidala."

Fox blinked. First once. Then twice. Then he burst out laughing for the first time in many weeks. My, did he laugh. His tummy started to hurt from laughter as he doubled over. Here he had expected it all to be some huge separatist plot, maybe Thorn had gone off as a traitor, only to discover that all of this was because of a misunderstanding. A hilarious misunderstanding, at that. Grizzer looked curiously as Fox as he kept on laughing his head off, being unable to stop however hard he tried. This was a story that would be late forgotten.

Looking at his commanding officer like he'd just sprouted a second head, Hound wasn't quite sure how to respond to Fox's deep belly laugh. This wasn't what he'd expected. At best he'd expected to be put on cleanup duties for the next few months. At worst...better not to think about that. Jerking forward when Grizzer pulled on his leash, Hound set his weight and leant back, trying hard to rein his partner in but every handler knew it was damned hard to pull a massiff back when something caught their attention.

Feeling the leash start to bite into his forearm even through his armour, Hound unwound two loops and stared in a mix of shock and horror as Grizzer wound around behind Fox's legs and pushed. Swearing as Fox hit the ground, Hound lunged in to grab Grizzer's harness but he was determined, somehow managing to get his head under Fox's arms.  
"Maker damn you, Grizzer. You're going to get me shot at this rate." Hound groaned, planting his feet and trying to drag Grizzer away.

Fox's laughter caught in his throat, effectively making him break into a coughing fit. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he got a lapful of massiff, but at this rate, well. Worst things had happened to him.   
"Hey, Grizzer! Give a man a chance to breathe, or else I fear you'll only give Thorn another chance to execute his plans...." despite himself, Fox started giggling again. He knew he behaved like a youngling girl, but he couldn't bring himself to feel any anger towards the animal, that was how relieved he was.

Reading Grizzer as only he could, Hound shifted his grip and hauled backward with all his strength before this got any weirder. Feeling another pair of hands on his waist, pulling with him, Hound finally managed to pull Grizzer off and tumbled over backwards. Wrapping his legs around Grizzer to keep him from trying to lick Fox to death, Hound looked over his shoulder and grinned as K'uur sat up behind him.  
"Thanks vod." he nodded, turning his attention back to Fox.  
"Now I get what Raven meant when he said sometimes you need a helping hand." K'uur chuckled, working his left leg out from under Hound's butt and shifting to lean against the wall.  
"The life of a massiff handler." Hound shrugged, chuckling at the thought of Raven and his eccentric partner.

Shaking his head in amusement, Fox looked at the two ARF troopers with a smile on his face. Though he were happy to have been freed from Grizzer. It wouldn't have been a glorious death to have been drowned in massiff drool. Realizing that the man who had stepped in to help Hound was K'uur, he suddenly got an idea. 

"K'uur, you haven't possibly seen Ponds around the block? He and I need to have a...serious talk with Thorn regarding mats. And our watch schedule."  
K'uur raised a brow at the commander, the f-clef tattooed over his left eye stretching out as he did so. "Do you want me to go and fetch him, sir?" he asked, looking at Hound in hope to get some explanation.

Chuckling at the look K'uur gave him, Hound rubbed Grizzer's belly and leant over closer to his brother. He wasn't exactly sure how much Fox knew about the relationship between Ponds and K'uur and he wasn't about to blow their secret up. They deserved some little bit of privacy. None of them got enough of that as it was.  
"Commander Thorn threatened to turn Grizz into a mat for Senator Amidala. That's all you really need to know." Hound grinned, grunting when Grizzer managed to head butt him in the jaw. "Settle down Grizz."  
"I'll go find Commander Ponds. I've got a good idea where I might find him, Sir." K'uur nodded, pushing up to one knee.

Still chuckling to himself, K'uur got up and trotted away in the direction of where he had seen Ponds the last time. That thing about the mat did sound like something Thorn would say. He had said something similar to K'uur when he had made a giant screw up as a shiny. At the time K'uur had been just as terrified as Hound had been, but as he had gotten to know the commander, he had learned to dismiss it as something Thorn said in his tantrums. As he neared the place he started to whistle a tune he had heard when he had been out on the town. In the end he had broken out into a low, humming song, feeling happy that he had an excuse to see Ponds on duty. "Ooh, commander!" he singsonged, knocking at the door for good measure, he didn't really have to do it. But it was always better to be safe rather than sorry.

Looking up from his reports, Ponds rolled his eyes and tapped the button beside him to open the door. He really had hoped to get some work done today but if that was K'uur out there, all hopes of making a dent in his inbox pile just went out the window.

With a huge grin on his face, K'uur went in through the doors, coming to a halt in front of Ponds. Feeling strangely playful today, K'uur quickly leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Ponds' lips.   
"Hey there," he murmured, wishing that he'd have had more time to spend with his lover. But for now, he had work to do. "Commander Fox sent me to fetch you. It would seem as if Thorn has said something inappropriate. Again." he added with a chuckle.

Resisting the urge to hide his face in one hand, Ponds groaned at the mention of Thorn's name. Sure, he was a good officer but sometimes he just didn't know when to shut his mouth.  
"Hey yourself. Missed you earlier." Ponds replied, rising out of his chair to steal another kiss. "What did that di'kut say this time?"  
"You sure you want to know right now?" K'uur asked, gaze raking Ponds' body.  
"Mind above my belt, K'uur." Ponds grinned, ruffling his hair affectionately. "I might as well be prepared for the worst."  
"He threatened to turn Hound's massiff into a mat for Senator Amidala." K'uur shrugged, batting Ponds' hand away and trying to smooth out his hair

"You heard me," he said with a giggle as Ponds widened his eyes. "Poor Hound accused him of working to find a way to make the massiffs go bonkers. You should've heard Fox; he almost laughed himself to death."   
It was a sin to have long, curly locks when you had Ponds as your lover. Since the man had no hair at all, he tried to run his hand through K'uur's at least ten times a day. It had been cute in the beginning, but now K'uur was getting a little tired of it. He grabbed hold of Ponds' hand, trying to drag the man out of his office. "Come on, they'll be wondering if I've murdered you or something."

"More like if I decided the haran with it and had you over my desk again." Ponds teased, allowing K'uur to pull him from the room. "But Hound might be onto something..."  
"What? You mean he's not talking rubbish?" K'uur asked, pulling Ponds up beside him and releasing his wrist.  
"It's just a theory right now. I'm not saying anymore on it until I have a chance to talk with Fox." Ponds replied, pulling ahead of K'uur.

"Ponds, that wouldn't be appropriate." K'uur said with a mock glare. Force, was he going to make Ponds pay for this later.   
"I don't see why you all are trying to make Thorn look guilty." he continued, looking up at Ponds with a concerned look. "You know he says things like that all the time. Why put any weight behind it? Surely he just has a dislike for massiffs. I'm not all too fond of them either."

"Yeah, but you've got an excuse not to like them. He's just being an ass about it. Force knows we wouldn't have the success rates we do without the massiff program." Ponds replied, glancing at K'uur with a grin. "He's mostly pissed because it wasn't his idea."  
"You really think it's that simple?" K'uur asked, not really seeing how all this could boil down to such a simple answer.  
"Now you're starting to tread into command only Intel. Trust me K'uur; I've got an idea of what's going on here." Ponds winked, recalling one particular argument between Fox and Thorn.

K'uur didn't like it. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ponds' judgement, but rather that he didn't like being left out. Those were the times that he wished that he had some sort of ambition to advance over his rank of the normal trooper.   
"I wouldn't call him an ass if I were you. He was actually the reason we met, remember?" K'uur chuckled to himself as he remembered Ponds that they. The commander had mistaken him for another ARF when he had been searching for Thorn.  
"Would you tell me more if I promised to sing to you tonight?" he asked jokingly, already knowing that it was a no go. But it didn't hurt trying, especially since Ponds didn't mind the teasing.

Skidding sideways around the corner, Ponds shifted his weight and slid along the smooth deck plates, gliding to a graceful stop right beside Fox. No surprise that K'uur tried to repeat the move but misjudged it and would have ended up on top of Fox had Ponds not grabbed his lover and pulled him to a stop.  
"K'uur tells me Thorn is at it again. Somehow I'm not surprised." Ponds remarked, leaning back against the wall.  
"You know Thorn; he's always vocal with his dislike of the massiff project." Fox shrugged, getting to his feet slowly.

K'uur felt his face go redder than the Chancellor's robes as he wobbled like a drunk and almost fell over Fox. That wouldn't have been his greatest accomplishment. Mentally he thanked Ponds for catching him.  
"Well, if that was all, sirs...?" he asked, not sure if they wanted him to stay or not. He knew that Fox weren't as used to his constant presence as Ponds were, and if this was as serious as they claimed, surely they wouldn't want K'uur to overhear.

Relieved that Grizzer had finally decided to settle down and behave as he'd been trained, Hound relaxed his grip on the leash a little and looked over at K'uur. He didn't have the same dark glower as Fox or Ponds but he had managed to get a few men to fall in when he gave them that look. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.  
"Oh no you don't. You dragged me out of my office for this, you're not going anywhere. Besides, you're one of the fastest around if we need a runner for anything." Ponds smirked, turning his attention to K'uur for a moment. "You should be used to his attitude by now, Hound."  
"When he tells me my uniform is dirty or I'm late to formation, that's one thing Sir. But when he threatens to turn my Grizz into a floor mat for a Senator, well now that's personal." Hound nodded; fiercely protective of his partner just like Grizzer protected him.

K'uur sighed. This was a fine mess that he couldn't make heads and tails of. He still felt as if he was missing something critical in this puzzle, but then Hound probably didn't know all of it either.   
"Have Thorn spoken to any of you since this little incident?" he asked, trying to stay as neural as possible in his way of thinking. "Don't you think we should include him in this conversation? I mean, maybe it is all just a big misunderstanding, like you seem to think, Commander Fox."  
It was really hard to think neutral when all he wanted to do was to reassure Hound that nothing was going to happen. He gave his friend an apologetic look, hoping he would understand.

"You can be glad he didn't hear that, K'uur. He'd come down on you so hard for not showing proper respect." Ponds warned, stunned by what his lover had just said  
"K'uur has a point though. We should be discussing this with Commander Thorn as well." Fox agreed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
"Great, another chance for him to have a go." Hound muttered, looking down at Grizzer again

"I'm sorry," K'uur was quick to apologize. "But how can I know how to speak properly when you don't tell me all about this?" Force, how he wished he didn't sound so pathetic at times. He had trained to deal with a war and developed a passion for music on his own. Not so strange that he felt so completely at a loss.   
"I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go fetch him, since I obviously say all the wrong things. Sirs." he dared to add, quite certain that he would come to regret his defiance later.

"Wasn't even thinking of it K'uur. He'd never listen to you anyway." Fox replied, giving the younger man a faint smile as he tapped his comm. "Thorn, report to my location immediately."  
"Understood." Thorn replied, his voice simmering with anger.  
"Sir, perhaps it would be wise if Grizzer wasn't present for this discussion. No sense giving Commander Thorn another reason to snap." Hound suggested, determined to protect his partner from anything Thorn might try.

"I could take him, if you want to." K'uur was quick to suggest, jumping at the first chance to be of use. He might have been a simple trooper, but he dared to believe that all the time spent around Hound had taught him at least something about massiff care. And this time he would be prepared if Grizzer tried to run away with him...  
He glanced briefly at Ponds, as if to ask for permission. Then he looked back at Hound, giving his best friend a small smile.

Sharing a look with Fox, Ponds nodded slowly and turned back to the two junior troopers. K'uur didn't really need to be present for this and it was smart to get Grizzer out of the way to avoid any further issues.  
"I can put him in his training harness to make controlling him easier. He can get leverage on a standard harness but his training harness eliminates that leverage." Hound offered, switching focus to protecting his friend from harm.  
"Smart idea. Get him harnessed and out of sight." Fox nodded, waving the pair away.

Leading Grizzer back to his bunk, Hound dug back into his footlocker and pulled out the heavy training harness he used sometimes. Most of the time Grizzer didn't need it but sometimes he needed a reminder of just who was boss. Stripping off the lightweight harness and buckling the heavier harness into place, he tapped Grizzer's nose and buckled the muzzle to keep him from pulling too hard.  
"Double leash?" K'uur asked, looking at the harness closely.  
"Yeah, this one is the important one though." Hound nodded, pressing the red leash into his right hand and the black one into his left. 'Pull this one when he starts pulling and he'll stop instantly."


	2. Chapter 2

K'uur started to realize that this might've been a bad idea after all. He cursed his terrible memory as he tried to memorize everything Hound said. Pushing away his insecurities, K'uur fired a big smile at Hound. "I think I get it. It's the black one you pull when you want to stop?" he teased, resisting the urge to giggle as Hound rolled his eyes at him. "We'll do just fine, Hound. Grizzer knows not to mess with me, right buddy?"

"Sometimes I wonder how you've survived this long, vod. This is the Corrie Guard, of course red is the most important colour." Hound sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Red for total control."  
"I've got it, I've got it." K'uur grinned, rolling his eyes at his best friend. "I was just stirring you."

"Come on, Grizzer! Are you ready for an awesome walk with ba'vodu K'uur? Are you ready, boyo?" K'uur said to Grizzer with that ridiculous voice that he sometimes heard Hound speaking with. Grizzer seemed to brighten at the mention of "walk", but this time K'uur were prepared when Grizzer dragged away with him. "Don't you worry about us!" he half shouted over his shoulder. "I'll protect him with- whoa, Grizz, not so fast! I broke that leg a few months ago, I'm not as fast as buir-" and with that, the pair had disappeared around the corner.

Chuckling softly and wishing his brother luck with Grizzer, knowing full well just how tough it could be to keep up with Grizzer whenever that magic work was mentioned, Hound took a moment to wipe a towel over his drool stained armour and returned to his senior officers. At least with Grizzer safely away, Thorn would have little reason to really start screaming again. Or at least a different reason to go off.

Fox waited with a growing discomfort for both of his men to arrive. The task of command might've been shared between the officers, but in the end it was up to Fox to lead the entire Coruscant Guard. Sighing heavily, he turned to Ponds with an exhausted smile.   
"Is Thorn still mad about that whole massiff thing? I thought we had left that entire argument behind us, but I've been wrong before." Fox ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd had since he were a cadet. The commanders couldn't keep fighting like this, it was unacceptable. At least he had Ponds to back him up, which was always something. But how the others would react Fox didn't dare to think about.

Giving Fox a look that clearly stated he through his senior had lost his mind, Ponds settled back against the wall to wait for Thorn to show up. Hound waited patiently in the doorway to his barracks, slipping into the at ease stance as he waited it out. But really, Fox should have already figured all this out by now. Thorn was an easy man to read, but sometimes it was just too damn exhausting to keep up with him.  
"Of course he's still steamed about the whole massiff thing. This is Thorn we're talking about, he knows how to hold a grudge like no one else. He's still ticked off that Stone thought of it first. And since Stone is currently offworld, he's taking it out on anyone he can." Ponds shrugged, raising one eyebrow in Fox's direction.  
"Seriously? I really thought we were passed all this mess." Fox groaned, thumping his head against the wall behind him. "And I'm guessing Thire is just stirring things up like normal."

"Well, granted." Ponds muttered, feeling like doing just what Fox had done, only a lot harder. He wouldn't have minded sitting this one out a bit. But then Fox needed some help, since he obviously wouldn't be getting any from Thire. "It wouldn't surprise me if he still rants on about this even after this. Stubborn di'kut."  
"Not that I heard all of what you said, Ponds," a drawling voice said behind him. "But I don't take kindly to being called an idiot, not after a day like this."  
Fox swallowed hard. Let the battle begin, he thought to himself. Commander Thorn had finally decided to grace them with his presence.

Straightening up, Fox fixed Thorn with a hard glare. This wasn't the one he used for shinies, no this was the much stronger one he used for his fellow officers. Sure, Thorn might have proven he was a capable leader and earning his Commander status but Fox was still his superior and would not stand for such blatant disrespect.  
"Thorn, I think you forget just who you are speaking to." Fox warned, one eyebrow rising slightly.  
"On two counts actually." Ponds added, waving his extra three months in rank over Thorn's head

"What have I done now? Sirs." Thorn said, looking ever so spiteful. This day had been bad enough for him, and if the two commanders were about to give him a reprimand, they could be damn sure the Thorn would fight back. He was tired of playing games.   
Without saying anything, he met Fox's eyes with a matching glare on his face. He knew he was playing with fire, and that he now tested how far he could go without getting burned. It was a dangerous game to play, but that didn't make Thorn any less willing to do it.

"Well, where shall we start? The threat to feed my fatigues to a certain massiff? Or perhaps the suggestion of skinning a certain massiff as a gift for Senator Amidala." Fox remarked, meeting Thorn's spiteful gaze with one of his own. "I am still the top man in the Guard, I have eyes and ears everywhere."

Thorn turned red as Fox mentioned that one about the fatigues. He hadn't really meant that one. He would never feed anything Fox's fatigues if it so depended on his life. And the thing about the mat...Thorn had partly meant what he had said. He would kill the massiff if it so much as came close to him one more time, but giving it to Senator Amidala...that was something he had made up.   
"Well, forgive me, sir. I'm afraid I threw in Senator Amidala since I'm a little fed up with standing guard at her apartment. You'd be surprised by the things she says when she thinks I'm not listening." he said sarcastically. Then he fixed Hound with a hard glare.   
"I can't help but to feel surprised by the fact that you know all about it, since it was only one man who heard about all of this. Do you hire snitches as your eyes and ears out in the Guard, Fox?"

"A wise leader doesn't need people to hear the problems going on around the base. Have you never heard the saying that the walls have ears, Thorn?" Ponds warned, lip curling in anger at Thorn's blatant disrespect. "Perhaps a couple of months cleaning the trash compactors will remind you that you are only fourth in command."  
"Don't tempt me, Ponds." Fox warned, glancing at Hound for a second. "I honestly thought you were capable of handling your responsibilities but clearly I was wrong. Seeing as you are tired of standing guard over Senators, which is part of the Coruscant Guard mandate, you can consider yourself confined to the base for the foreseeable future."  
"Um, Sir?" Hound piped up, looking at Fox for some help out of his own sticky situation.  
"I hadn't forgotten, Hound." Fox replied, snapping his gaze back to Thorn. "I am half tempted to assign you to clean out the massiff cages in punishment for your threats against Grizzer but I doubt that would correct your behaviour."

Thorn stared wide eyed in horror at Fox and Ponds. A lot of emotions were swirling through him as he heard those words. More anger. Intense hatred. But also hopelessness and fear. The Commanders obviously weren't joking around with this, they were deadly serious. Desperately Thorn tried to find the right words to say, but none came. He opened his mouth, but shut it again as he realized that it was no use to speak. In the end he settled for bowing his head in defeat. It was a wonder the ground didn't break from the poisonous glare Thorn was giving it. His hands were curled into tight fists at his side.

"There's always the most hated posting." Ponds suggested, fighting hard not to react to Thorn's defeated posture.  
"Ah yes, signpost." Fox nodded, glancing over to Hound. "I agree."  
"I leave this in your hands, Sir." Ponds grinned, feeling just a little touch of pity for Thorn in that moment. He knew how brutal Fox could be when given free reign and a solid idea about punishing an errant trooper.  
"Thorn, look at me when I address you." Fox insisted, bracing for the outburst that was sure to come from this.

Thorn's head snapped up at those words in at pure instinct. He glared at Fox with enough hatred to burn down a village. He was not going to forget about this anytime soon.   
"Do you have trouble deciding, commander?" he asked with fake sympathy, sounding ever so spiteful. "Why not pick all of the punishments, it'd save your precious few brain cells from overheating."

***

K'uur knew that he never should've volunteered to go out with Grizzer. He had been certain that he had been ready for the massiff, but he'd be damned if the little beast didn't manage to surprise him again and again. At least this walk had passed without any incidents...so far. As K'uur headed back for the barracks, the massiff suddenly froze, sniffing in the air. And then, out of the blue, it took off down the corridor before K'uur had any chance to react.   
"Shab!" he swore as Grizzer dragged him along. What leash was the one that would stop him? That was the question...

Pushing off the wall and turning to get right in Thorn's space, Fox poked him hard in the chest and seriously considered just knocking him out but decided against it. Another concussion wouldn't change Thorn.  
"For that, you can scrub the trash compacters for the next year and have signpost duty for the same year. Oh, and don't expect to see anything beyond the Guard Precinct here for the rest of your miserable life. You will also be on two hourly reporting to whichever senior Commander happens to be on duty. And yes, I mean during the nightshift as well." Fox snarled, combining all his worst punishments to keep Thorn on the tightest leash he'd likely ever experienced. Even on Kamino the worst reporting cycle was three hours. This punishment cycle would knock Thorn off his game for certain. He'd barely have a moment to sleep.

Hearing a painfully familiar sound, Hound moved out of the doorway and looked along the corridor. There, at the far corner, Grizzer came flying around at a full run dragging poor K'uur along behind him. Calculating the time he would have to react and trying to think just what he wanted to achieve, Hound launched out of the doorway and grabbed Fox by the collar before shoving him and Ponds back against the wall.  
"Hound, what the..." Ponds started, stunned by Hound's behaviour. "Oh fek."

Bounding down the corridor at full sprint, snarling and growling angrily, Grizzer closed the distance fast and slammed right into Thorn. The three other men winced in sympathy as Grizzer's heavily armoured head slammed full force into Thorn's undefended groin.  
"I guess he didn't appreciate being called a mat." Hound remarked, releasing his seniors and stepping back. "I thought you had him K'uur."

K'uur widened his eyes as he realized just what Grizzer had done. He was at a loss for words. "I had him, but then he just took off when we got back to base. Oh force, I'm so sorry, commander..." The words just flew out of his mouth now. There was no way he could stop. K'uur felt guilty, to say in the least. It would be on his conscience if Thorn had any...problems in the future because of this. Thorn had been knocked to the ground by the impact, and he laid there whimpering in pain, clutching his hands to his crotch. K'uur didn't envy him. Silently he held out the leach for Hound to take. He would help Thorn, regardless of what the others thought of it.

Shaking his head slowly when Grizzer gave him an innocent look, Hound had a bad feeling that things just got so much worse for him. That said, he couldn't just leave Thorn like that. He knew from experience how much a standing head butt to the groin hurt, he'd been lucky to avoid a running head butt so far. Moments like this made him wonder if Grizzer wasn't a haran of a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for.  
"You might be an arrogant pain in the shebs, Thorn, but you're still our pain in the shebs." Fox sighed, pushing off the wall and moving to take a knee beside his fallen brother. "But don't think for a moment that this gets you off punishment detail."  
"Infirmary or quarters?" Ponds asked, dismissing Hound with a wave.  
"No blood so we'll let him rest in private." Fox replied, slipping one arm around Thorn's back. "Up you get."

Thorn managed to get up on wobbly legs, and K'uur winced in sympathy as a soft groan of pain escaped the commander. Not that he were to judge how badly Thorn had behaved, but K'uur couldn't help but feel terribly sorry for the man. He ran up to Ponds, glaring sideways at his lover. "See?" he hissed through his teeth. "This is what happens when you keep secrets from me."

Bracing Thorn when he threatened to hit the deck again, Ponds made sure to get a firm grip on the back of Thorn's tunic as he glanced at his lover and sighed. He really did have to admire K'uur and his willingness to take the blame for an incident that wasn't his fault. A noble choice but rather pointless whenever Thorn was involved.  
"Let it go, K'uur. I've got a feeling this would have happened regardless of who was holding onto the leash." Ponds shrugged, shooting his lover a grin. "Should we really make him walk, Fox?"  
"I'm hoping this intimate pain will help Thorn remember why it's not a good idea to say anything bad about the massiff program." Fox replied, wrapping one hand around Thorn's tunic belt. "Come on, let's get him to bed."

"Fine then" K'uur muttered, still not feeling quite satisfied with that answer, but realizing that he probably wouldn't get anything better.   
"I'm still here." Thorn groaned as they kept on talking over his head rather than to him. K'uur had to stifle a laugh, because that would really be the last thing he did in this life if he allowed it to slip out. However, he couldn't resist the thrill of leaning close to Ponds and whisper in his ear: "At least we know that his sense of humor is still intact." He knew that it was a really childish thing to do, but then everyone dismissed him as just young anyway. And what did he know, maybe a laugh would lighten the grim mood? Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

Choking on a highly undignified giggle at the latest comment from his lover, Ponds gave him a look that promised a night of fun as repayment for all this mess. He really would have preferred to steal a few private moments with K'uur but he still had a duty to help Fox keep the Guard under control.  
"We know you're still here, Thorn. Your sidearm is leaving bruises on my hip." Ponds snarked, rolling his eyes at Fox.

The look that Ponds gave him sent shivers of excitement down K'uur's spine. In return, he shot Ponds one of his most sensual looks, praying to the force that Fox wouldn't catch it. Mind above the belt, as Ponds used to tell him. Seeing that Thorn was about to crack yet another foul comment that would only leave him in more trouble, K'uur decided to take pity on his vode.  
"I'm sorry, commander," he said, once again playing the innocent trooper. "I think it's my sidearm that is abusing your hip. My holster has been acting up lately, you see, sir."

"Will you two at least try to be subtle." Fox groaned, hanging his head. "Seriously, I do not need another report about troopers getting caught with their pants down, literally."

Figuring that there was only one way to regain control before Ponds decided to do something totally unprofessional, Fox started walking Thorn away. For a moment he thought Ponds would stay but finally he managed to drag his second away from his lover boy. Thorn was at least trying to walk on his own but it wasn't hard to tell he was still in a lot of pain from that hit.

The pain was...indescribable. Thorn couldn't describe it with any words invented yet. Maybe there were no words to describe it. It hurt like haran, that much he knew. Shabla K'uur who couldn't do anything right...  
Despite the not so graceful hit, Thorn tried to maintain as much of his pride that he had left. Stubbornly he made his best to walk on his own, not wanting to the help from the men that just had taken his life from him. But then it was really hard to walk...and although he'd rather cut off his tongue than admit it out loud, the help wasn't totally unappreciated. He glared at that di'kut K'uur who seemed to not even try to hide his wild flirting anymore. But as Fox led him away in the direction of the barracks, his attention immediately turned back to him.   
"This must be so satisfying for you," he snarled. "You do enjoy pulling the strings, don't you? Sir."

"Have you been taking something illicit, Thorn? I can't think of any reason why you'd think this is satisfying for me, unless you're on something. Your actions are bad for morale and lately that's been in the osik anyway. I'd take a lot more satisfaction knowing that you were at your post, ready to assist the senators and the Jedi under our watch but your attitude needs an adjustment first." Fox replied, resisting the urge to drop Thorn and make him crawl back to his quarters.

"Hah. Whatever you say, sir."  
Determined not to say anything more unless his life depended on it, Thorn kept quiet for the rest of the short walk. Or, the walk that should've been short but felt like a thousand miles in his state. Ponds finally seemed to have been able to put his mind on more urgent matters as the commander caught up with the pair again. Thorn resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That wouldn't do him any good anyway. As they finally arrived at his quarters, Thorn shot Fox a very faked, innocent smile. "I think I can make it back myself from here."

Moments like this made Fox wonder if he could get away with tossing aside his commission and disappear into the ranks. He was fed up with Thorn's behaviour but he wasn't quite ready to let the other man out of his sight just yet. There was too much of a risk that Thorn would try another plan to get revenge on Hound.  
"Ponds, you are dismissed. Barring an emergency, I shouldn't need you for the rest of the day." Fox directed, making a snap decision to hopefully put an end to all this bickering. "as for you, Thorn, I haven't finished talking with you."

The last thing Ponds saw was Thorn shooting Fox yet another malicious look. One couldn't say that Ponds ran for it, but it was damn close. Now it was time to place his mind on more pleasant matters: namely K'uur.

As much as he didn't want to place any pressure on his lover, K'uur couldn't help but to feel somewhat impatient as he waited for Ponds to return. One of the fine things about dating a commander were the fact that Ponds had his own quarters. It did give the pair some much needed privacy in times like this. For the time being he sat outside of the door, tapping his fingers against his bucket. He really hoped Ponds would come back soon. Waiting did little good to him.

Hauling shebs along the corridor, Ponds didn't want to waste a moment of this precious downtime. It was rare that Fox gave anyone downtime barring emergencies. He preferred to keep everyone ready for action just in case. Such a gift was not to be squandered so Ponds kicked it up a gear and pushed off one wall to skate around the corner all the faster. Digging his toes in again, he raced down the corridor towards his waiting lover.  
"K'uur, come on." he called, turning and sliding to a neat stop in front of his lover. "We've got the rest of the day to ourselves, barring emergencies."

"What?" K'uur asked in surprise as he got up. "That's wonderful!" Knowing how rare it was of Commander Fox to give any of his troops any free time, K'uur felt strangely touched by this rare gift. Part of him wondered whether just which commander had gotten knocked by Grizzer, but he didn't concern himself all too much with that. It was time to pick up where they had left earlier.   
Giving his lover his most appreciative smile, K'uur pressed his body close to Ponds', wanting to feel all of him as soon as possible. He was certain that it wasn't comfortable for Ponds, given that K'uur was still in full armour, but right now he didn't care. He was going to enjoy his time off.

Wrapping his arms around his lover, Ponds relished this moment of peace in the midst of the chaos around him. The logical part of his mind reminded him of all the work he had to get done but the rest of his body told that logical part to take a long walk off the nearest landing pad. Ignoring the minor discomfort of armour digging into his flesh, Ponds leant in and stole a sweet kiss. Duty could wait, he had an armful of the sweetest guy in the Corrie Guard and he wasn't going to waste a moment of this time.  
"Cyar'ika." Ponds whispered, drawing back a little and lightly cupping his cheek. "My place, before I lose my mind."

Smiling softly at Ponds, the only man he would ever desire, K'uur leant in to press another quick little kiss against Ponds' lips.   
"We better hurry up then, Pon'ika," he said with a chuckle as he used his own little affectionate nickname. "Because I've already lost mine."   
Stepping back a little, he indicated with a small gesture of his hand for Ponds to lead the way. He swore that for every time things got heated between them, the more nervous he got. Which was funny, since he hadn't been nervous at all the first time. But his nervousness were more of an anxious anticipation rather than fear, so it was seldom enough to throw him off balance. Not that he would ever let anything tear him away from the man he loved.

Grateful for his foresight to move into the empty officer's quarters at the end of this barracks corridor, Ponds moved with a determined step so he didn't rouse the suspicions of the other men in the corridor. He already knew that some disapproved of his relationship with K'uur but no one dared to speak up. But Ponds still tried to keep his romance out of sight to avoid giving Fox any more unnecessary paperwork.

Typing in the access code to his quarters, Ponds reached back and grabbed his lover by the arm, dragging him inside before any of the real problems came their way. Locking the door behind them, Ponds spun and shoved K'uur up against the wall gently, perfectly content to just watch his lover for a few seconds.

Whenever Ponds shoved him up against the wall and then just proceeded to stare at him, K'uur couldn't help but to stick his tongue out at him. It was his natural reaction to something he found a tad awkward. Fully intending to cause a whole lot of mischief, K'uur shot Ponds one of his most cheeky grins as he begun to absently tug at one of his shoulder plates. Knowing fully well that Ponds worked really hard to keep his quarters clean, seriously, K'uur had never seen any sort of chaos in that room, he carelessly tossed the plate in an unknown direction, then he repeated the whole procedure with the second shoulder plate. That should get his lover going...

Deciding that he'd much rather gloat when K'uur couldn't find his shoulder plate that had just gone under his cot, Ponds started on the hidden catches that secured their chest and back plates. Popping the side catches first, he moved up and released the shoulder straps, reaching around to catch the back plate before it hit the floor. Hooking the plates together again, Ponds set it on the floor and turned his full attention back to K'uur. Working on his vambraces, Ponds had a feeling he'd just stunned his lover when he tossed them over his shoulder without a care.

Stunned? Well, maybe not. But he were surprised by that nonetheless. He raised a questioning brow at Ponds. "Who are you and what have you done to Ponds?" he asked jokingly, but secretly, he felt as if he'd achieved something by making Ponds submit to the chaos.   
When the plates on his upper body came off, K'uur sighed in content, relishing the feeling of being free from what at times felt like a prison. His hands reached forward on their own accord to free Ponds of his shirt. It wasn't a work easily done since he tried to plant kisses all over Ponds' neck and chest, and he was fairly certain that what he'd just heard had been the sound of him ripping the fabric...

"The faster I get you naked, the sooner we can really have some fun." Ponds smirked, kicking his outer belt aside and helping K'uur out of his bodysuit top. Refusing to think about the ripping sound he'd heard, Ponds shrugged out of his tunic and hauled off his undershirt, revealing dozens of scars and trying not to twitch when K'uur ran his fingers lightly over the newest ones in the collection.

Taking a mental deep breath to steady himself, Ponds sunk to his knees and looked up at K'uur. For a moment his breath caught and Ponds was once again struck by the wild beauty of the younger clone that had chosen to love him.

Seeing how Ponds were taken aback for a moment, K'uur smiled gently at him. His hands reached down to touch all of Ponds, slowly running his fingers over his lover's head and face, taking his time whenever he came across a new scar. Ponds looked quite handsome from where he was sitting, and suddenly K'uur felt the urge to tell him so, and a lot more things.   
"Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum."   
It was as close as you got to express your love in mando'a, yet K'uur felt as if the words held so much more meaning than simply Basic. The words meant "to hold the heart forever". And another way to describe his love for Ponds he had yet to find.

Making a conscious decision, Ponds calmly told his command training to shut the haran up and disappear for the day and leant into the loving touches. He knew he was loved by K'uur, he knew they had something precious but hearing him saying those words sent a warm flash through Ponds.  
"Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum." Ponds repeated, guiding K'uur to lift his feet and slipping off his boots.

It would've been a mood kill if K'uur had lost his balance in that moment. He were still slightly exhausted from having been dragged across the HQ by Grizzer, on his still recovering leg, at that. When nothing happened, he reached down to undo the straps that held the plates covering his thighs together. By now he had gotten a bit fed up with the shabla armour and all of its thousand pieces, but then they said patience was a virtue. But how could he be patient with the most gorgeous man in the galaxy sitting in front of him, and with his armour starting to get uncomfortably tight from watching said man for too long without any touching?

Releasing the knee guards and adding them to the pile beside him, Ponds popped the clasps on his shin guards and flicked them into the pile. Fully aware of the discomforts that came with their armour, he ran his hands over K'uur's shins to ease away the painful ridges that always developed after any length of time in full armour. It was actually therapeutic for Ponds to be down on his knees like this, following instructions instead of giving them. It was only made sweeter for the knowledge that K'uur would never mistreat the trust placed in him.

Reaching up again, he unfastened K'uur's belt and tugged lightly, disconnecting the abdominal guard and catching it before adding both pieces to the pile beside him. Last of all, he popped the smaller clasps holding the codplate and culet into position, dropping them at K'uur's feet. This was the moment that he would see just what K'uur would do and if his lover was capable of truly reading his intentions and desires. 

"But would you look at that!" K'uur said as if it was the most surprising thing in the universe. "There's no armour left to remove."   
On the inside, K'uur felt a little distressed. This was the moment of truth, where he either did something right or screwed up the whole thing. Determined not to do the latter, he crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Ponds from head to toe. One of his more predatory smirks crept across his face. Making a face as if he was thinking hard, K'uur looked back up at Ponds face.   
"Question is, what do you want? Would you mind if I took you right here and now? Of course you wouldn't, but I can see that you want things to go slower, yet not too slow. Maybe I should suck you off, going torturously slow on you? Or," feeling a tad insecure about this, but not slowing down either, he reached his hand down to cup Ponds' chin. "You could do the same for me."   
The last words came out ridiculously low and husky, as if he had swallowed something bad. Force, this was the reason he hadn't advanced in rank. He simply couldn't do anything right when it came to authority.

There is was, the total hand over of control he'd been looking for. Ponds couldn't stop the faint shudder that ran through him as K'uur eyed him with barely disguised lust. The husk in his voice was almost too much, pushing Ponds closer to the brink. Straightening up a little more and parting his thighs, Ponds tried so hard not to think of his throbbing erection. This wasn't about his needs anymore, he was here for the pleasure of his lover. At this rate he was going to make a mess of his pants before they got to any of the fun stuff.

Looking up at K'uur with all his love and adoration shining in his eyes, Ponds leant in and nuzzled at K'uur's rock hard erection. Lipping at the thick cloth and drowning in his unique scent, Ponds gave over completely to the spell K'uur had over him. 

A loud, throaty groan escaped K'uur as the sensations overwhelmed him. Thankful for the wall behind him, K'uur leant back against it for support, because he were fairly certain that he would need it once Ponds were done with him.   
"Yes," he ground out, his hands roaming all over Ponds' head and shoulders uncontrollably. "Oh yes please, love."   
His words probably didn't make any sense, but he didn't care. Ponds should know that what he was doing was much appreciated. The knowledge of that this had been coming was what had kept K'uur sane all day, or was it the opposite?

Showing off his skills, Ponds used his teeth to release the fasteners on K'uur's pants and nuzzled into the gap even as he started working the thick cloth down. Caressing powerful thighs, Ponds slowed down a little bit, lapping at the sizeable erection presented to him. Nothing compared to the spicy flavour of his love, the familiar scent washing over him as he kissed the warm flesh. Tipping his head to the side, he tongued K'uur's balls and listened to the keening cries of his beloved.

Drawing back slowly, he lapped at the head again before opening his mouth wide and taking K'uur to the root in one smooth glide. Keeping his pace slow and steady, he cherished each passionate sound from his lover. Humming in contentment, Ponds set his rhythm and stayed with it, pushing aside his own desire to properly serve his love. His pleasure would wait until after K'uur was thoroughly satisfied.

All coherent thoughts fled him the moment Ponds' tongue touched his erection. It felt so good that K'uur wanted to sob, but that wouldn't have been that sexy of him to do. But he couldn't stop the loud, keening cry that came from the pleasure of his love's tongue on his balls. It all felt like too much, and they had barely even started yet. He feared that he wouldn't last for long, not if Ponds kept doing magic with his mouth.   
His breathing got heavy as the heat of Ponds' mouth surrounded him on all the right places. His whole body was on fire, or so it felt like. K'uur bucked his hips into Ponds' mouth, wanting to feel even more of him. At the same time he didn't wish to harm his lover, so K'uur put all his efforts into restraining himself a little. Though that were easier said than done this close to his release.  
"Ponds..." he moaned out as his lover did something extra pleasurable with his tongue. His hands fell back against the wall since he felt that he needed the extra support.


	3. Chapter 3

Changing his rhythm to keep his love on edge, Ponds drew back and lapped at the head again. Lifting his gaze, he couldn't help but admire the sight of his lover flushed and panting. They were both too wound up for this but Ponds had faith that K'uur would soon put an end to his torment. He couldn't take much more of this before he took matters into his own hands.

That first thrust changed Ponds' rhythm again and he went with it, moving his hands up to grasp at K'uur's firm shebs and coaxing him to thrust deep. This was exactly what Ponds needed; the complete loss of control allowed him to be free for just a little while. Swallowing around the silken heat, Ponds looked up at his lover and pleaded for more than this without breaking his rhythm.

His breath caught in his throat at the way Ponds looked at him, and for a moment K'uur forgot how to breathe. His chest heaved with each panting breath he took. Ponds pleading eyes upon him were his final undoing, all of his self control went to haran, literally. K'uur begun to thrust uncontrollably in and out of Ponds' mouth, and his thrust only grew more erratic the closer he got to his release. When he felt his orgasm approaching, a steadily building sensation racing through all of his lower body, he allowed his head to thump back against the wall.   
"Ponds...please..." he panted in between soft moans and cries, a request in his words for his lover to go harder, faster.

Noting the change in flavour as K'uur got close to the edge, Ponds stopped teasing and took his lover deep again, humming around his length. So close, he could feel K'uur was close to cumming and stepped it up, inhaling through his nose and swallowing his lover to the root. Few could handle the full size of a clone but Ponds had been working on it for months and now he found it easy. Swallowing around his lover, Ponds moved with his erratic thrusts, never once letting his eyes close. This was all for K'uur, proof of his undeniable love for the other man.

Pulling back to breath again, Ponds plunged back down and groaned as he was finally rewarded for his efforts. Sealing his lips properly, Ponds drank his love's essence down without hesitation. It tasted a little bitter but there was a spicy note that Ponds could never get enough of. Removing his hands from that incredible shebs, he moved to brace his lover against the wall, not yet relinquishing his prize as he pinned his hips to the wall.

His orgasm took him by surprise. Of course he had known that it was coming, yet the force of it had been overwhelming. All K'uur had felt in those short, blissful moments had been Ponds; the suction from his mouth and his hands firm hold on his shebs. Then it was all over almost as quickly as it had happened, and Ponds were pinning him against the wall.   
Feeling thoroughly satisfied, K'uur peeked an eye open to look at Ponds. A shy, flushed smile lit up his face as he saw the expression on his love's face. K'uur had always deemed it impossible, but he'd be damned if he denied the fact that he loved Ponds more and more with each second that passed.  
"You're too good to me, my love." he whispered, placing his arms around Ponds' strong shoulders. "I love you."

Relaxing into his lover, Ponds panted softly and closed his eyes slowly. His own need was getting hard to ignore but he was in no hurry to leave the safe embrace of his love. Content and at peace, he lightly caressed K'uur's calves and tried to calm his breathing. As hard as it was to ignore his desires, Ponds would not push K'uur to move faster than the younger man wanted to. He would take whatever K'uur chose to give him and be grateful for it.  
"You're worth it, my heart. Everything I do is for you." Ponds uttered, shifting to look up at K'uur again. "I love you too."

A warm feeling spread through K'uur at those words. As soldiers they had little tenderness in their life, and not often did they express their affection out loud in fear of losing respect by being seen as soft. That was why K'uur often had to fight his tears when Ponds said such sweet, loving words.   
But then, it was hard for them both to ignore Ponds' little "distress". Ideas started to form in his head as he reached down to lightly curl his hand around his lover's length, applying feather light pressure on it.  
"What do you desire, my love?" K'uur asked in his most seductive tone, looking deeply into Ponds' eyes. "What do you want me to do with you? What do you fantasize about when no one is watching?" As he spoke, K'uur begun to pump lightly, still teasing his love. He knew that Ponds was very close to the edge himself, but he could still have a little fun while Ponds tried to come up with an answer.

Trembling as his lover touched him, Ponds shifted off his knees and eased back to settle on the floor, reaching up to grasp K'uur by the shoulders and pulling him down with him. Groaning deep at the feeling of his lover pressing him into the floor, Ponds shifted slightly and kissed his lover passionately.  
"This is what I want. Right here, just like this." Ponds groaned, thrusting against K'uur. "Take me hard. I fantasize that you throw me down and have your way with me whenever you want."

In the middle of it all, K'uur couldn't help but to growl in appreciation. Hovering over his lover like an animal over his prey, he gave Ponds a feline grin.   
"Baby, you're not ready for the time when I throw control out the window," he purred in his ear. "But let me tell you, that once I'm done with you, you won't be able to stand upright. Whenever you look at one of your fellow commanders, you'll see me in their faces and you'll be unable to look them in the eye."   
Playfully he bit down into Ponds' shoulder, not hard enough to break the skin or hurt, yet hard enough to leave a loving bite mark.  
"You're at my mercy tonight, my love."

Body thrumming with the fiery spark of lust and desire colliding, Ponds rubbed up against his lover again and purred right back. For once he didn't have to think, he could run on total instinct and let someone else make all the choices for him. Listening to the hot words brushing over his ear, Ponds shuddered and grasped at his lover. Back arching again, he finally found his release with a scream. Feeling the rush of emotions, Ponds slumped back and shivered as K'uur marked him as a taken man.  
"Always yours, my love." he panted, totally at the mercy of his beloved.

For a short moment he slipped out of his dominate role and pressed a soft kiss to the mark he just had left. It was something special that Ponds trusted him with taking commando like this, and it was a trust that K'uur would never betray. One of his hands were tracing soft patterns over Ponds' chest, while the other one reached down to settle on his lover's inner thigh. With a gentle nudge, K'uur asked him silently to spread his legs, to allow him to get better access to his lover's most intimate parts.   
"I'll make this so good for you, cyar'ika." K'uur murmured against Ponds' lips before he pressed another passionate kiss against them.

Allowing his fingers to dig in a little more as his love settled over him firmly, Ponds couldn't stop the whimper that bubbled up from the back of his throat. Any other time he would have felt self conscious about the mess in his pants but here and now, there was no time for it. Spreading his thighs further and raising his knees, Ponds ground against K'uur happily. Pure lust flashed through him again as K'uur kissed him, stirring up the fires for another round.  
"It's always good with you, cyar'ika." Ponds whispered, trying to hide his desperation but he knew he couldn't.

Realizing that it probably was far from comfortable to wear such messy pants, K'uur slowly eased them down Ponds' legs.  
"I feel sorry for the poor chakaar who has to clean those..." he joked, though he really didn't give a mott's backside about it. Wasn't that proof enough that his lover was happy?   
Once Ponds were fully naked, K'uur took a long moment just to let his eyes roam. Sitting up a little for a better view, K'uur admired the muscular, well trained body of Ponds, feeling not so little possessive since he knew he were the only one who got to touch it. Seeing how Ponds was ready for round two, K'uur dropped down between his legs, once again prepared to play the dominant role.   
"So I want to get one thing settled," he said as his hand trailed down to touch Ponds' firm shebs. "When you feel ready for more, you'll beg me for it. Understood?"   
And with that, K'uur buried a finger deep inside Ponds, just the way he knew would drive his love insane.

Beg him? Well Ponds had no trouble with that idea. He would do just about anything right now, if it meant he would finally be free from this torment. Fingers digging into the hard deck beneath him, Ponds arched his back at the feeling of that first finger slipping inside, aided only by his own cum. He knew K'uur could be a devil in bed but that was super hot.  
"Oh fek...more, please. I want you to take me hard. Please K'uur, please." Ponds gasped, struggling to hold onto his sanity. "Please, cyar'ika, please make me yours."

"I don't know..." K'uur said, deciding not to take pity on Ponds yet. Slowly, torturously, he slipped a second finger inside. Despite feeling more excited than he'd ever felt on the inside, the look K'uur gave Ponds were mildly bored, as if he did this every other day. Thanking the force for his acting skills, he spread his fingers, stretching his lover wide open.   
"You always make me show respect in public and so," he chatted utter nonsense, the goal being to make his lover really earn for it, maybe even to get aggressive. "So I thought, to haran with it, why not? Try being like me in this moment, and things might get interesting, if I like what I hear."   
K'uur felt really cruel while saying that, and he hoped he didn't push things too far. But at the same time...he did enjoy this.

Breath hitching at what he was hearing now, Ponds writhed in exquisite agony beneath his lover. Two fingers now, the stretch and minor burn so intimately familiar. K'uur might have been reluctant to take the lead but when he got going, he could convince Ponds to do just about anything with those honeyed tones. Ponds knew it to and willingly surrendered to his precious love, totally confident that he would never abuse the trust shown.  
"Please Sir, please take me hard. I'm so hard for you, Sir."

K'uur's breath caught at those words. Saying that he liked what he was hearing was an understatement. Only his beautiful, sweet Ponds. Fek, he loved him so much that he could burst from all of the feelings inside of him.  
Slowly he withdrew his fingers. For a short moment he looked at them, then K'uur stuck them into his mouth, humming in content as he tasted his lover on himself.   
Finally K'uur got to the part where he positioned himself at Ponds' entrance. He was rock hard again, and aching to be inside of Ponds. Without breaking eye contact for a moment, K'uur pushed inside with one powerful thrust, moaning loudly as he did so.

Somehow finding the strength to open his eyes, Ponds moaned at the sight of K'uur sucking on his fingers. There was something special in that gesture, reminding Ponds that this wasn't just a one night stand. This relationship meant something. He really was the luckiest man in the GAR. That feeling only intensified when K'uur pushed into him with a moan, their gazes locked to heighten the intimacy.

Feeling every delicious inch of his lover, Ponds scrabbled for grip and arched his back, crying out in pleasure as he was filled to the brim. Rough and demanding, this was just what he needed right now.  
"oh, yes Sir. Fill me up Sir, I'm yours. Only for you Sir." he gasped, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Fully seated, K'uur groaned at the sensation of Ponds' muscles clenching him tightly on all the right places. He too had to fight hard to keep his eyes from closing in pleasure. K'uur was certain that this was what paradise felt like.   
"You're so tight, trooper," he hissed between clenched teeth as he begun to move. "Do I really neglect your needs that often?"

"no Sir, you never neglect my needs, Sir." Ponds gasped, meeting the rhythm K'uur set. "oh fek, you feel so good Sir!"

Trying to concentrate beyond the blinding pleasure, Ponds managed to get one leg hooked around behind K'uur to improve his leverage but the other leg refused to obey his commands. The pleasure was intense, lighting shooting through Ponds with each brush against his prostate.  
"yes, Sir, right there. Oh, so good, Sir."

The soft cries and moans coming from his lover encouraged K'uur to go harder, faster. Knowing that Ponds were being pleasured just by hearing him cry out as K'uur hit a soft spot inside of him, or by the way his leg were digging into his back, made K'uur feel happy beyond everything. This was something special. It was not a one-sided love affair where the other just took what he wanted without a thought or giving, as he knew so many of his brothers did. K'uur felt so proud of having such a dedicated and loving partner like Ponds. The fact that he was practically a god in bed did not hurt either.

Grunting loudly, K'uur sped up his thrust a little more, feeling as if he'd finally lost his mind to the gorgeous man beneath him. Ignoring the fact that he probably sounded like Grizzer when he ate, K'uur leant down to kiss Ponds breathless.

Finally getting his right leg to cooperate, Ponds locked it around K'uur and arched up, giving over total control to his mate. Every thrust grated his back against the floor but Ponds didn't care. The only thing that mattered was K'uur and his powerful thrusts. Here was the reason he always fought so hard to come home, he had half his heart waiting for him and he would never leave the other man willingly. He'd already found heaven, there was nothing else better than this.

Giving up on trying to hold onto the floor, Ponds sought out K'uur's shoulders as he leant down to kiss him. In that moment, Ponds didn't feel like he needed to breath. he just wanted this moment to last forever, the spiral of pleasure winding higher and higher as their tongues danced and K'uur thrust hard against his shebs.

It was not the time to get sentimental in the middle of a heated encounter like this, but K'uur just knew that they both thought about what they meant to each other.   
"Do you remember Ryloth?" he panted in between his groans of pleasure. "Because I do. I remember how- ah! frightened I was, and then you came crashing into my world," all his pent of energy, and the fact that what he had just said was accurate in many ways, K'uur laughed breathlessly and pressed a kiss to Ponds' collar.   
"Literally crashed. You fell through the bushes, you clumsy di'kut!" K'uur giggled, putting extra pressure on the "di'kut" by thrusting hard into his lover. Those were the most cherished memories he had of Ponds, the ones he only brought back at special occasions. Thinking of it now, in this blissful moment, just made everything so much better.

Ponds really didn't know how K'uur did that but he always cherished each reminder. Right in the middle of their sexual encounters, K'uur always mentioned one of their previous moments together. Ryloth was one of his favourites, and personally, Ponds had to agree. He still remembered that encounter clearly and relied on those memories to keep him grounded when they were apart.  
"Of course I remember." Ponds replied, barely able to speak for the pleasure flashing through him. "I'll never forget that moment, Sir."

Locking his arms around K'uur's neck loosely, Ponds stole another kiss and threw back his head with a keening howl. Memories old and new swirled about in his head, reminding him of all the exotic places they'd made love and mingling with the sensations of this moment. He could recall all their times together but this time together was the most precious of all.

He was not far from the edge now, K'uur knew as much. At some point all coherent thoughts had fled him, and the only thing he could focus on was his own intense pleasure burning like a fire, and Ponds screaming beneath him. Poor Fox would probably have gotten more than one report by the time they were done, and the night was still young.   
His hips were moving on their own accord by now, thrusting back and forth, inside and out, at a speed K'uur hadn't even known he could reach. The pleasure grew inside of him until he finally couldn't take more. Howling Ponds' name without a thought of keeping it down, K'uur buried himself inside of his lover a final time as his release overtook him.

Feeling the sticky warmth of his lover spill into him, Ponds tightened his grip on K'uur and screamed as his release swept through him. He didn't know what it was but something about the sensation of being claimed inside and out always sent him flying into orgasm. Arching up into his lover again, Ponds slowly dropped back to sprawl in a sated heap on the floor, legs refusing to unlock from K'uur's back just yet. Drenched in sweat and cum, Ponds slowly opened his eyes and smiled up at his mate. No doubt he would turn up for duty tomorrow walking funny but it was totally worth it for these moments.

Panting hard, K'uur sagged down onto Ponds in a satisfied hump of ARF trooper. Seeing how Ponds were smiling at him, all K'uur could do was to grin back at him, showing off all of his teeth in the process.  
"Please don't ever call me "sir" again," he groaned as he buried his face in Ponds' chest. "There's a reason why you are the commander and I'm not. I'd make a poor job as a corporal, and that's saying something."  
Feeling absolutely content with life, K'uur closed his eyes as he snuggled up against Ponds strong frame. He felt sleepy...but that was a luxury he didn't need in the moment, unlike the unlucky bastard Thorn.   
"You were quite into it tonight, weren't you, my heart?" K'uur asked with a smile. Ponds had never shown this much...passion during their times together before.

Groaning as his breath was pushed from him again, Pons managed to regain enough control of his body to unhook his legs and sling one arm around K'uur contentedly. But even in his exhaustion, there was a new spark of arousal when K'uur smiled at him with all his teeth showing. Ponds was too exhausted to do anything more than snatch another sweet kiss though.  
"Whatever you want, my dearest." Ponds replied, nuzzling his love happily. "Why do you think I've never put you up for a promotion."

Closing his eyes and drifting a little, Ponds wasn't quite ready to sleep but he needed at least a brief rest before he could try anything more with K'uur tonight. Humming softly in satisfaction, he idly ran his fingers over K'uur's back as he relaxed.  
"It was nice to let go and have someone else make the decisions for once. The burden of leadership is heavy so it's great to have some kind of release from it." Ponds admitted, finding a new peace in his admittance.

K'uur hadn't known that. Smiling gently at his lover, he begun to plant soft kisses against his skin. Pampering Ponds felt extra satisfying after hearing that admission.   
"Well, while I'm not an expert at the area, I'm very happy that you trust me with taking care of you," he said, certain that all of his love and adoration shone through his voice. "I'm constantly afraid of doing something wrong, but then you always manages to surprise me with doing or saying something unexpected. It's one of your trademarks, isn't it?" he added with a small laugh, propping himself up on his elbows to be able to look at Ponds better.

Shifting a little on the hard floor, Ponds wrapped both arms around K'uur and held him close. He would always treasure every moment with K'uur but these peaceful moment of intimate closeness were always special. No need to try and impress anyone, just a simple need for closeness and contact.  
"I trust you with my life K'uur, you should know that by now." Ponds smiled, tracing lazy patterns over his back. "I don't believe for a second that you would ever hurt me intentionally, cyar'ika. You are half my heart, my one and only love." Ponds replied, cherishing each kiss sprinkled on his skin. "I'm not sure if it's my trademark alone though. You still surprise me with some of your words and deeds."

"Me? Cyar'ika, I'm like an open book. I can't even surprise Grizzer anymore." he chuckled, nuzzling his face to Ponds neck. But it warmed him to the core to hear Ponds express his love so openly. Made him wonder just what he had done to deserve a man like this.   
Smiling cheekily, K'uur gave Ponds a kiss on the cheek. His tiredness were forgotten in an instant.   
"I don't know about you, but I think your bed is much more comfortable than mine." He said with an inviting wink, hoping Ponds would take the bait.

"You can't deny the fun we just had. I never knew you had it in you, cyar'ika." Ponds returned, squeezing K'uur close for a moment. Every day was a new adventure with K'uur at his side, Ponds could face any threat so long as he had K'uur waiting for him at the end. "I agree about the bed but I'm not the one who needs to move if you want the bed."

"Ugh, fine then!" he said with a groan. It took all of his strength to pull away from Ponds, and when he were finally standing, K'uur wobbled on his legs as if he were about to fall over any moment now. His bad leg ached from the pressure he had putted on it, and he couldn't help but to wince a little as he walked over to the bed. Yes, the bed would be a lot more pleasant than the cold, hard floor.   
"Why do you have such a cosy bed while I get to sleep on something that you can't even call a resting place?" he asked with a cheerful voice as he dropped down onto his back on the bed.

Sitting up and reaching out to support his mate, Ponds kept a close eye on K'uur as he limped over towards the bed. Rolling over and getting to his feet, he padded over to sit beside K'uur and wrapped one arm around his lover. With stunning dexterity, Ponds wrapped around K'uur and rocked backwards, twisting and settling K'uur safely on his soft bed.  
"Your bed isn't that bad, the ones back on Kamino are worse," he grinned, brushing K'uur's hair out of his eyes.

Letting out a keen of surprise at Ponds actions, K'uur couldn't help himself but to giggle at the surging feeling it left in his stomach. Life was never boring when he were with Ponds. He shot his lover a cheeky grin and poked his nose with his finger. It was a silly gesture of affection that he had used on his squad brothers when he were still a cadet. He still did it with Hound from time to time when his brother needed some cheering up, but with Ponds it was so much more than an innocent gesture.  
"You have clearly not been down to the barracks in a while, my heart," he said with a mock accusing tone. "They make the bunks back on Kamino seem like heaven. It's like these bunks were made for droids rather than men."  
K'uur cupped the back of Ponds' head with a warm smile, letting his hands trail up and down over the soft skin.  
"Why don't you have any hair?!" he said in a demanding tone, glaring a little while sticking his tongue out at his lover. "I want to run my hands through your hair too."

Catching K'uur's hand, Ponds pressed a soft kiss to his palm and settled closer. The sex was always great but these intimate moments were the best memories for him. It was so easy to love K'uur, their bodies fit together so naturally whenever they had the time to cuddle. Gently rubbing K'uur's knuckles, Ponds released his hand and settled contentedly beside his trusted mate.  
"Well, we can't have that. I'll mention it to Fox and see if we can't get our hands on some better mattresses for the barracks." Ponds grinned, reasonably sure that he could make something work.

Purring in contentment as K'uur started lightly stroking the back of his head, Ponds pressed into the gentle touch a little more and let his eyes drift closed. He did so love it when K'uur touched him like that, his fingers conveying just how precious the other man thought he was. They needed no words anymore, a single touch could convey so much.  
"It's not that I don't have any, I just take the time to shave it off whenever it gets too long. I can't really explain it, I just don't like the feeling of hair inside my helmet. Never really have." He sighed, draping one arm over K'uur and tugging him closer. "But I guess I could be convinced to try growing it out again."

"No, don't do it if it makes you feel uncomfortable," K'uur smiled into Ponds' neck that he'd now buried his face in. It was like playing hide and seek sometimes, and he kind of enjoyed trying to guess what expression his lover had on his face. "I'm just being a big baby. You know, I've never been able to imagine myself as bald, I'm too much of a hair snob." At those last words K'uur snorted out a laugh. It was so easy to laugh around Ponds, since he never seemed to mind the countless bad jokes that K'uur cracked daily. With a yawn of content K'uur stretched his body in Ponds' embrace, before he settled back onto his chest, feeling even more happy and satisfied than before.   
"Fek, Ponds," he giggled as another bad joke came to his mind. "I can't even imagine you with hair on. But then I'm fairly certain that you'd look great in..." K'uur had to try really hard to stop laughing, but that was easier said than done since his whole body shook with it. "... Raven's hairstyle."

Rolling his eyes and tugging K'uur closer, Ponds just smiled as he gazed up at the ceiling. He was glad that K'uur wasn't going to push him into growing out his hair, even though he had been totally serious about the offer. But with the way he'd seen some of his brothers messing about with their hair, Ponds was happy with his shaved style. It made life so much easier.  
"Yeah but look at it this way. At least I don't wake up with a birds nest every morning." Ponds chuckled, enjoying this moment to laugh like an idiot. "I'm not sure we could survive if we were both hair snobs."

Bracing for the worst when K'uur started giggling uncontrollably again, Ponds' eyes blew wide at the comment about Raven's hairstyle. Oh Maker, now that had to be the scariest idea he'd considered in a long time. That look suited Raven's weird personality but Ponds personally thought it was a liability.  
"Suddenly I'm glad I shave my head, I really don't like the look of those filthy dreadlocks."

K'uur couldn't contain his laughter anymore. It rang loud in the room, bouncing against the walls as he practically doubled over from laughing. His tummy hurt and there were tears in his eyes. The mental image of his lover in Raven's long, not exactly filthy in K'uur's opinion, dreadlocks was so utterly ridiculous that it sent him away in another wave of laugh. He knew that he were behaving most childishly, but he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed this much. Ponds always managed to drag out the best of him, no matter what mood he'd been in earlier. It was something beautiful, and K'uur loved him just a little more for it.   
"But just imagine it, we could be a really cute couple," he giggled in between his uncontrollable laughter. "I could get those long beads that...you know, those that Sunny's got. I think it would suit me. But force, would they all wonder just what cave they found us in?" Quickly he leaned up to press a passionate kiss to Ponds' mouth. He felt as if they both needed it in this weird moment, since some familiarity always were appreciated.

Unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up, Ponds held his lover and laughed with him, grateful for the private joke between them. So long as word never got back to Raven about this, they had nothing to worry about. It felt good to laugh like idiots again, it had been too long since Ponds had felt this free and joyful. K'uur always knew how to wipe away his dark moods, often with some silly little comment like that one.  
"We already are a cute couple if you believe the scuttlebutt." Ponds grinned, running his fingers through K'uur's hair again. "No, I like you just the way you are cyar'ika. The beads suit Sunny but they're not your style."

Groaning as his laughter was silenced with a passionate kiss, Ponds rolled and pinned K'uur to the mattress again, caressing his back and rubbing against his beloved again. The intimacy was what really mattered, if something else came of it so much the better but this was good enough.

Feeling more alive than he'd ever been before, K'uur only deepened the kiss as Ponds pinned him down to the mattress. He wrapped his legs around his lover's waist, partly to gain more support, but mostly to be able to feel as much of him as possible. Their bodies came together like two fitting puzzle pieces, and here, in the safe embrace of his love, K'uur felt at home. Though all too soon for his liking, the need for air became too much for him. Leaning back slightly, K'uur panted for breath against Ponds' lips, his eyes already half lidded with the growing pleasure.   
"Funny, I was just about to say something similar, sweets," he purred, the sound coming from deep down in his throat. "You are perfect because you are you, and I would never want to have someone else in your place. You hear me? Never. Only you."

Shifting one hand down to grab K'uur's shebs, Ponds moaned low in his throat as he rocked against his lover. Perfection in motion, muscles gliding together as the pleasure started to wrap around him again. Gazing down at his beloved, sharing their breath as their passions sparked up into a burning flush, Ponds knew he would never want anyone else in his bed.  
"My heart, my soul, my world. I could ask for nothing else while you're in my life." Ponds uttered, totally in love with K'uur. "I love you, only you. With you at my side, I an achieve anything."

Taking a shuddering breath, K'uur opened his eyes too look deeply into Ponds'. He couldn't, and would never, hide the love and adoration for the other man that shone through them.   
"And I love you, my heart. Mhi solus tome."   
At times, the realization of what K'uur said did not sink in until later. Like in this moment. The words had sounded fitting for the time being, and not until later had he recognized them for what they was. Blushing fiercely, K'uur's gaze flicked down with an embarrassed, tiny smile. Way to ruin, the moment, trooper. Unsure of what to do next, K'uur absently rubbed Ponds' arm, hoping things wouldn't get more awkward.

Stunned by what had just come out of K'uur's mouth, Ponds refused to think too much about those words. Of course he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with K'uur but a marriage vow...that was taking things to a whole new level. Later, once the heat of the moment had passed, he would ask K'uur about his words and see if maybe he was reading the situation properly. But such a declaration couldn't go unanswered.  
"Mhi solus Dar'tome." Ponds uttered, nuzzling K'uur's neck to hide his own embarrassed flush. "But let's save the rest of that vow until we're both clear-headed."


	4. Chapter 4

Sighing in relief, K'uur kissed his lover's cheek. Once the first shock had disappeared, K'uur thought more deeply of what he had said. And finding out that he would not mind in the least to get married to Ponds just brought him back to square one. He felt puzzled about it all, but also more certain than he'd ever been before. Reaching a hand up to caress Ponds' cheek, K'uur smiled up at him with a...gentleness he didn't know he possessed.   
"I won't force you into anything you're not comfortable with, cyar'ika, but I can't help but to disagree with that last statement. I think we're both very clear-headed in this moment...and if not now, then when?"   
His other arm wrapped around Ponds' neck, and K'uur felt as if he in that moment more clung to his love than embraced him. He were frightened of being pushed away now, but he still knew that he had to say this.  
"Time is not on our side...and if nothing else, I want you to know that I'll always be yours, if words can make any difference to that fact."

Ceasing his rocking motions, Ponds eased back down onto his side and gazed at his lover in a new light. K'uur, the joker and loveable goofball was totally serious about this. Oh kriff, Ponds had never seen his lover so focused on any topic like he was focused on this. Pushing aside terrified thoughts of a future without his mate, Ponds found a smile and gazed into K'uur's eyes lovingly.  
"I never said I was uncomfortable, cyar'ika. I just thought you were enjoying what we were doing." Ponds sighed, brushing a lock of hair from K'uur's face. "But if you want to talk about this now, we'll talk."

Holding K'uur close without restricting him, Ponds swallowed as he was hit with the wild terror of losing his mate one day. He didn't want to lose K'uur but he knew that it was a huge possibility. If the old mando'a wedding vow could make that fear fade away, them maybe it was worth the consequences if anyone ever found out.  
"I know time is against us, my dearest. I can't imagine life without you but...we haven't got a right to such happiness." he sighed, forcing himself to hold K'uur's gaze. "We're not citizens, no one will allow us this."

"Why don't we?" K'uur asked, holding his lover close. It was as if he could sense the fear his love felt, and K'uur wanted nothing rather than to take that pain away.  
"Think about it. We weren't supposed to exist in the first place, so who are they to say that we can't? I would not care if so the supreme Chancellor forbid us. This would stay between us, since the Mandalorian vows aren't bound by any papers. Just you and I would know, and..."   
K'uur had to take a deep breath for what he was about to say. It could very well be considered treason in the ears of the wrong person, but K'uur were confident that Ponds would understand.  
"If there's a life for us outside of this war...this hell we're living in, I want to have that future with you."   
Fighting back the tears that threatened to break through at any moment, K'uur pressed a soft kiss to Ponds' lips.  
"I know you're scared..." he whispered. "So am I. But please, can't we just be selfish for once and have this together? Because no one else will care whether we live or die, so it's none of their fekking business to decide if we should love each other or not."

Losing the battle with his own emotions, Ponds clutched K'uur close as he cracked and wept helplessly. He wanted to, he desperately wanted this but he was terrified that word would reach the wrong people somehow. One slip and they'd both be in deep poodoo. Fox was willing to forgive their romance but this, this could be the final straw against them. Ponds had spent his entire life in constant fear of not being good enough, of always having to compete with his brothers just to survive. But with K'uur, he didn't need to compete with anyone. He was loved, cherished and adored above all others. He carried that love as a talisman against the darkest times so maybe, just maybe, this was worth the risk.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ponds nodded slowly without letting go of his mate. He was scared out of his mind, trying to decide if this really was worth the heartbreak that could come their way. They'd already seen so much death and destruction, any mission could shatter their peace. That mention of a life together outside of the war, well that both terrified and excited him. It was treason to even consider such a thing but he wanted that chance. It was a long shot but maybe they could survive the hell and find a quiet place to call home.

Holding onto his love for dear life, K'uur could hold back the silent tears that streamed down his face. It was an act of braveness to agree to such a dangerous thing, and it hurt so terribly to see Ponds, his strong, confident love, breaking down and cry like this. Feeling his tears wet his skin, K'uur made soothing noises and rubbed calming circles onto Ponds back. Then he felt how the other man nodded. Gently K'uur reached out a hand to tilt Ponds' chin upwards. He wanted to look his love in the eyes as they settled this.   
"So you agree to this, love?" he said silently, like speaking to loudly would ruin the moment in an instant. "Will you marry me, cyar'ika?"

Sniffing pathetically, Ponds allowed K'uur to lift his head and gazed at his beloved mate again. He couldn't risk losing his lover to this war, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the heartbreak but he had no guarantees that K'uur would agree to what Ponds was considering. It was the only way he would risk this. He would do anything to protect his beloved, even if that meant going against everything he knew. Ponds had never felt this sort of fear before but he had to try. He was not going to let anything happen to K'uur if he could help it.  
"Elek, I will marry you cyar'ika." Ponds nodded, bracing for the harsh words sure to come. "But on one condition."

The joy that filled him was indescribable. It batted away all the fear he had felt earlier, although some of it stayed in the back of his consciousness as a reminder to tread carefully. Tightening the embrace he had around Ponds, K'uur could see the fear in his love's face. He had never known Ponds to be the type who feared anything, but here he were, looking terrified. Not breaking eye contact for a second, K'uur tried to give his love all the support he could muster.  
"Anything, cyar'ika. Anything for you."

Feeling some of the weight come off him at the easy acceptance from K'uur, Ponds swallowed again and reached up to cup one cheek lovingly. This was the turning point, whatever they decided here would be the turning point of their lives together. Ponds refused to think about the reactions this was sure to stir up, he couldn't afford to be distracted right now. Peace and joy were within reach, if he just had the courage to reach out and grab hold of that dream.  
"Run away with me." Ponds whispered, a tremor in his voice. "I know a place where we can live in secrecy, no one will know."

K'uur's breath caught in his throat at those words. Never could he have guessed that Ponds would suggest deserting. It went against all of their beliefs. But then, K'uur had never believed in any of that at even one point in his life. He had fought since it had been the only option laid out for him, but Ponds' words opened a whole new sets of doors for a life in peace, far from all the violence they'd known all their life. Nodding slowly, trying to contain the shaking of his body, K'uur grabbed hold of Ponds' hands. It was the most dangerous thing to suggest, where death by a blaster round would be the most merciful punishment. But K'uur hadn't lied when he said he would do anything for his love. Because he would, even if it so were the beginning of the end.  
"I'll go with you, cyar'ika. Where else would I be, if not at your side?" he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Sagging into the mattress, Ponds could barely believe he'd just suggested that they desert. But for K'uur, he would face the risks. This was a huge step in their relationship and there was still so much to organise if they were ever going to make this work. If they were caught, it would mean the firing squad for both of them but Ponds was confident that they would be able to escape unscathed. He knew the techniques for escape and evasion in enemy territory, he'd been taught those skills back on Kamino. They could make this work.  
"We could go tonight but only if you're absolutely sure. I know how to get out of the barracks without being seen and I've got some credits saved up. It might not be enough to get to where we need to go but we'll figure something out." Ponds breathed, struggling to accept that they were really going to do this. "But we'll have to be so careful."

K'uur nodded, being fully aware of the risk they were taking. It would take a strain on any normal relationship to do anything like this, but then his and Ponds' love went beyond normal. Both of them trusted each other with their lives, and if Ponds said they could make it tonight, K'uur knew his man wasn't joking. If he had known this early in the morning when he'd been tasked with holding Grizzer for his friend, K'uur didn't know what he'd have thought. A pang of guilt hit him at the thoughts of his friends, or rather, his only true friend. He would never see Hound again, K'uur knew as much. But if that the prize he'd have to pay for staying with his love, K'uur would gladly pay it. His only regret were that he wouldn't even be able to say goodbye to his closest vode.  
"I'm an ARF, Ponds. Sneaking is my life," K'uur whispered, stroking Ponds' face in a way he hoped would be reassuring. "Just tell me what I have to do and I'll make it."

Already plotting out their escape route and planning what they would need, Ponds smiled softly at his lover and sat up, drawing K'uur up with him. Pulling his lover into a tight hug, Ponds dug deep for the courage to go through with this and breathed deep. He'd occasionally considered deserting before but never with someone else. When he'd met K'uur, all thoughts of running away flew out of his mind. But now those thoughts were back with a vengeance and his old plans came back to him.  
"Do you have anything in your footlocker that you want to take with you? Personal items, credits, anything at all?" Ponds asked, drawing back slowly. "Civilian clothes if you've got them?"

Taking strength from the hug he were wrapped up in, K'uur placed small kisses on Ponds' neck, mostly to reassure himself that he weren't alone in this. Thinking hard about what his love had said, K'uur finally nodded once again as he figured that he had a few things that could come in handy.  
"I've got my small savings of credits, but apart from that, nothing of use. I've got a pair or two of clothing, and a scarf that might come in handy. Surely they'll notice our resemblance, so I could cover my face and hair with it."  
He were caught up in this, there was no way he could turn back now. His brain were running on instinct, only thinking the most necessary thoughts for escape. He were thankful for his scout training that gained him an advantage in sneaking.

Nodding slowly, Ponds caressed K'uur's hair lovingly and pushed the tension out of his shoulders. They could make this work if they just pulled together. He was just glad he'd taken a few precautionary steps when he'd last been considering running. Since K'uur had some credits and something to wear, they were one step closer to making their escape.  
"Good, now we're making progress. Everyone should be in the mess having the evening meal by now so you should be safe to run back and grab what you need. I've got a small bag you can use to stuff your gear in so you're not left with anything screaming GAR." Ponds grinned, feeling so much more confident about this escape plan now. "While you're gone, I'll get organised. Then we just have to wait until the dark hour to make our escape."

Nodding. That was all he could do, it seemed. But he understood what he had to do. The shadows had helped him before, and he were certain they would help him again. If everything went right, the two of them would've left their old life behind by this time tomorrow. If it went wrong... K'uur refused to think about that. It was those kind of thoughts that made things go wrong. He gave his partner one last kiss before he got up to dress. All he had were his armour, but it'd have to do for now.   
"Then I'll see you soon, cyar'ika." he said as he strapped on the last piece of his armour. When he went through the door he blew his love a kiss, praying that they would see each other again.

Letting out a calming breath once K'uur was away, Ponds shook his head quickly and stood. Flipping the mattress up, he opened up the hidden compartment inside his bunk and pulled out his secret stash. Two changes of civilian clothes, a small pack of field rations, his credit pouches and a sturdy travelling pack. Most of it he'd won playing cards and carefully stashed for just this sort of a situation. Bracing the mattress against the wall, he folded one set of clothes and shoved them in the bag along with the rations and one of his credit pouches. Wishing his hands would stop shaking, he dressed in the second set of clothes and secured the small credit pouch inside his pants where it couldn't get stolen.

Thinking for a moment and deciding to take the risk, he wandered over to his desk and pulled out a sheet of flimsi and a pen. Sitting down, he penned a short apology note to Fox, Thorn and Stone. He was careful not to tell them anything of his plans, he couldn't risk them figuring it out but they at least deserved an apology for him abandoning them.

Sneaking along the walls with the same certainty as a nexu on the hunt, K'uur carefully made his way towards his footlocker where he kept all of his small possessions. Checking the room one extra time to make sure it was all clear, he sighed with relief as he realized that everyone had headed for their meal. Quickly he opened up his locker, taking out what he needed the most, like his two sets of civvie clothing and his credits. A couple of ration bars went in the bag that Ponds had borrowed him, as did the things he'd need to maintain his hygiene and a holovid of him, Hound and Grizzer from when the little monster still had been a cub. Once he had it all collected, he locked himself up in a fresher to change. Armour replaced with a plain, white long sleeved shirt and a pair of pants. He had to look in the mirror to make sure the scarf were wrapped properly onto his head. K'uur didn't want it to get in the way, and at the same time he wanted it to cover as much of his face as possible. Thankfully the scarf were of the large kind, large enough to cover up all of his face. He allowed it to hang open around his eyes, but apart from that, no one would be able to recognize him now. The armour. He had to get rid of that unless he didn't want to get killed in an instant. Thinking quickly, K'uur stashed it in his footlocker. There, now no one would miss it. Smiling in satisfaction behind his scarf, K'uur begun to make his way back to Ponds' quarters.

Crushing down on the nerves starting to build as he confronted his choice, Ponds made sure he had all of his escape supplies then kicked open his footlocker and knelt beside it. Most of this he would leave but he shoved his shower bag and shaving kit into his travelling pack, along with a small box of holovids and stills of him with his brothers. It was a risk to take the vids but he couldn't let them think he didn't care about them. He loved his brothers but he adored K'uur. This was the right choice. The Corrie Guard would survive without him, Fox would steady the ship in his absence.  
"I hope one day you'll find a way to forgive me for this betrayal, vode." Ponds whispered, glancing at the folded note on his desk.

It was so hard to maintain his calm when all he could feel were the stress of his frayed nerves. Only by sheer willpower K'uur kept himself from running as fast as his legs could carry him. A note of some sort to Hound, maybe a final goodbye, would've been the noble thing to do, but K'uur couldn't risk to run back to his footlocker now. Great. Now he had to hold back tears of guilt too. He had to pull it together, or else this would never work. Besides...maybe Ponds had some flimsi he could use? Yes, he would ask Ponds about that. It didn't feel right to just leave his closest vode behind without saying goodbye. Because if he weren't man enough to say goodbye, then what hopes did he have of ever being forgiven for what he was about to do?  
Deep in thought, K'uur reached the door that would lead him into Ponds' small room. Taking the chance to relax a little, he pressed the key code that opened the door.

Jumping when the door opened, Ponds reached for a sidearm that wasn't there as he spun and opened his mouth to explain himself but he quickly relaxed when K'uur entered in his civvies. Forcing his mind to calm again, Ponds waited for the door to close before embracing his lover again. Drawing back slowly, he took K'uur's pack and pointed towards the desk.  
"I left a note for Fox. Didn't tell him what we were doing, just apologising for leaving like this. Figured you'd want to do the same before we leave." he explained, moving to grab his pack and sling it over his shoulder.

K'uur gave Ponds a grateful smile, but in the next moment he remembered that his lover couldn't see it behind his scarf. Feeling stupid, K'uur quickly tried to think of something to say.   
"Thank you, cyar'ika..." was all he came up with in the end, but he figured that Ponds would understand that it was his nerves that made him so quiet. Walking over to sit down at the desk, K'uur was faced with the next difficult challenge, trying to come up with an apology to Hound. In the end, it wasn't hard at all, since the words just flowed into his head and out through the pen. When he were done an entire paper had been filled with text. He wanted to write so much more, but that was a no go, because the chance would be big that he made a huge slip up that would get them both killed. Deciding that he would rather be safe than sorry, he grabbed the note and went over to Ponds.  
"Could you read this for me?" he asked with a shaky voice, handing his lover the paper. "I want to make sure I haven't written something bad."

Taking the page from K'uur, Ponds read it over quickly then went back and read it over much slower, checking for any risks to their plan. K'uur had written a solid, heartfelt apology but not once had he so much as implied what they were about to do. This letter put Ponds' own short note to shame and showed him just how much K'uur was sacrificing for this chance at happiness.  
"No, this is perfect K'uur. It's a goodbye and an apology all in one. I didn't have the words to say much to Fox and the others. Just an apology and a plea for forgiveness." Ponds smiled, handing the note back to K'uur. "We should be right on time to get through if we leave in the next few minutes."

Nodding and letting out a breath of relief, K'uur took the note and placed it back onto the desk, right next to Ponds' own. It felt strangely good to have gotten that part right. Now it was up to himself to put his emotions in check, to put on a brave face for the sake of his love. Deep inside K'uur felt like a frightened nuna, but he refused to let that show. Both of them were probably equally scared by it all. They were about to start a whole new life, for kriff's sake. It was nothing you just did.   
Thinking about what Ponds had just said, some of his feelings became too much to handle. K'uur buried his face in the strong chest of his love, his breathing sniffling as he took in as much of Ponds as he could. This could be the last time they'd get to hold each other, and K'uur wanted to savour every second of that moment.   
"Just hold me." he whispered, pressing his body close to Ponds.

Letting his pack drop to the floor, Ponds held him close and whispered soothing words in his ear. They were about to take the biggest step of their lives and the realisation scared Ponds to the core. He hadn't been this spooked since he was a little recruit just starting live fire exercises. He couldn't let his fear show, he had to step up and be the provider right now. K'uur needed him to be strong so he would bury his fears until there was time to release them.  
"It's going to be okay, cyar'ika. We'll make it through and find our peace elsewhere in the galaxy. I'll keep you safe, I promise. We're survivors, we've already survived more than most and we still have our whole lives ahead of us." Ponds uttered, rubbing K'uur's back lovingly.

Whatever happened, Ponds would always have a calming, soothing effect on K'uur. Taking a couple of deep, calming breaths, K'uur finally looked up at his lover again. He realized that this all would be worth it, because this was what he wanted. A life in peace, far away from the war, together with the man who owned his heart.   
"I love you." he said, the words slightly muffled as he managed to get his mouth filled with some of the fabric un his nervousness. Then he closed his eyes and counted to three in his head, opening his eyes again as he reached three.   
"I'm ready to go, cyar'ika. I'm with you, whatever happens."

Careful not to disturb the scarf covering his face, Ponds lightly ran his thumb between K'uur's eyes to calm and soothe his mate. He'd never tried this before but it was the best that could be managed without ruining his disguise. He could fully understand the nervousness in K'uur's voice too; his heat was pounding in his chest as he faced the reality of this.  
"I love you too, cyar'ika." Ponds replied, stooping to grab their packs. "It's going to be okay. We'll be off Coruscant before the midnight shift change."

Opening the door, Ponds checked the corridor was clear before stepping out and hurrying along the corridor. This wasn't his emergency call to battle hurry, he'd rouse too much suspicion if he did that. No, this was his summoned by a General hurry, he just hoped it would be enough to get them past any sentries they might encounter. A secret call from a Jedi would explain their civilian clothes too and give them enough time to slip away unnoticed

Following Ponds out into the corridor, K'uur broke into a sprint and kept himself right behind his lover. Would anyone catch them now, it'd be better if K'uur maintained his rank as the simple trooper rather than Ponds equal. Love like theirs was something his brothers couldn't grasp, but rank they understood.   
K'uur found it amusing that they saying was "run away" when you as a matter of fact didn't have to run at all. But in this moment K'uur saw the entire saying in a whole different light, because here he were, running for his life. His pulse pounded in his head just like it did right before battle. Once the adrenaline died down, K'uur wouldn't be able to as much as stand up straight. Now it was what kept him alive.   
His footsteps were light as he looked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't followed. K'uur found nothing, like he had expected, but one couldn't be careful enough.

Picking their route carefully to avoid the patrolling sentries and the cameras mounted at key locations, Ponds led the way towards the rarely used midnight guard exit. A hidden exit, it allowed certain members of the Guard to slip in and out in total secrecy to make certain the guards outside were fully alert. Using it would mean Fox would know he left the building but since Ponds tended to use this door when he just needed some quiet time, he doubted Fox would do anything about it.

Approaching the doorway, Ponds made absolutely sure no one would see them and reached back to grab K'uur's hand securely. This was the one bad side to using this exit. If the detector picked up on two lifesigns leaving under one code, their plan was a bust right here and now.  
"Stay in close beside me. We're going to have to walk through this door together, in perfect step or we'll trigger the alarm. The fact I coded out is not big deal, I often use this exit but it will sound the alarm if we don't fool the detector." Ponds warned, darting across the corridor and into a narrow alcove.

A million worst case scenarios ran through K'uur's head. For what felt like the millionth time this evening, K'uur thanked the Maker for his training. Had he been a regular trooper, the risk would've been big that he'd have done something clumsy that could trigger the alarm. But all his life he had trained to be light footed, to hide from the light. An alarm more or less were a piece of cake. He would not allow a simple machine to ruin his only chance of a future.  
Squeezing Ponds' hand hard in reassurance, K'uur stepped in closer to the other man. He observed intensely how he moved, the way his muscles worked, and did his best to copy those movements. In the end it was as if he moved in tandem with his lover, their steps perfectly synced.   
"I don't think that'll be a problem. If anyone asks, I'm just your shadow."

Shaking his hands to remove the fine tremors that had started up, Ponds wrapped his left around K'uur's back and reached out with his right. A deep, calming breath and he input his code, glancing up at the lifesigns detector around the doorway. He'd never truly believed in religion but he was praying to any god that would listen to let them pass unhindered. They were so close to freedom.  
"By the left foot, as soon as the door is opened fully." he uttered, pressing the last button firmly.

The door cracked open and slid back into the wall, the cooler air whispering around the tightly pressed lovers. One last look at K'uur and Ponds stepped forward, feeling his lover move with him as they walked under the detector without setting the damned thing off. Letting a relieved smile cross his face, Ponds release K'uur and headed for the boundary fence. Anything from here on out would be easy, they were finally free of the pain.

If it had helped, K'uur would've stopped his heart from beating the moment they stepped through the door. Mustering all of his focus, he moved together with Ponds as if they were one. Mhi solus tome indeed. When nothing went off, K'uur felt as if he could breathe again for the first time that evening. Their freedom were no longer an abstract thought, but a concrete thing within their reach. But K'uur would not let his guard down now. They still had a long way to go before they were off Coruscant. He didn't even know where they were going, but that was probably for the best. Ponds would tell him once they were safe.   
He followed Ponds to the fence, letting his lover take the lead again. It was he who had the escape route, after all. Ponds would never do anything sloppily, his lover did everything for a reason. His trust had not faltered for a second. K'uur would, and were, trusting Ponds with his life.

Glancing back over his shoulder at the building that had been his home for so long, Ponds sighed softly and turned away. There would be time for regrets later, he had to get K'uur out of here before anyone came looking. They had to get off Coruscant tonight or they would never escape.

Looking up at the fence that separated his brothers from the real world, Ponds approached it slowly and scanned the plasma bands. Slipping off his pack again, he crouched and pushed it under the lowest beam before stretching out on the cold duracrete. Looking up at K'uur, he grinned and started to shuffle under the beam slowly. There was barely enough room to squeeze under and Ponds could clearly feel the heat from the plasma just above him.

Plasma beams. That was not something K'uur wanted to experience. Following Ponds' example, he took off his own pack and pushed it underneath the beam. He waited for Ponds to get over to the other side safely before he started to squeeze himself through. It was one tricky job, and in that moment it struck K'uur just how trapped his brothers were. There were no way for more than one person to escape underneath the fence at a time. If you touched the plasma, well, then you were as good as dead.   
As he got out on the other side with all limbs intact, K'uur straightened with a relieved sigh. He brushed off some dirt that had collected on his shirt. Why had he chosen the white shirt again? He dared to shoot Ponds a grin, but then again he remembered that his love couldn't see his mouth.   
"That was easy." K'uur settled for instead.

Chuckling softly, Ponds shouldered his pack again and handed K'uur the smaller bag before turning to look back up at the imposing building they had just fled.  
"Forgive me, vode. I'm sorry I couldn't stay." Ponds whispered, reaching out to take K'uur's hand. "It's only going to get easier from here, cyar'ika. I've got a solid idea of where to go next."

Turning away from the past, hopeful that one day more of his brothers would find their freedom, Ponds started walking towards the nearest transport station. He knew the timetables thanks to his place organising guard rotations so he knew they had a good chance of making it to the station before the next train.

Smiling softly underneath his scarf, K'uur had to resist the urge to start whistling. Music in all forms were his way of coping with stress, but whistling were usually a sound associated with suspicion, and that was the last thing he wanted to drag upon them. So instead he settled for grabbing hold of Ponds hand and walk beside his lover, finally being free of his past. To any outsiders they probably looked like just another one of the refuge couples that Coruscant had so many of. K'uur felt content with letting them believe that. He were not a soldier any longer. As a matter of fact, maybe they were refugees now? Shaking his head at his own indecisiveness, and looked up at Ponds. His curiosity were about to get the better of him. And besides, it never hurt to ask.   
"Just where are we going? You haven't said a word about that, cyar'ika."

Listening intently for any hint of the alarms going off behind them, Ponds forced his mind back onto their situation and looked at K'uur with a smile. Now that they were finally away from the barracks, Ponds felt safe enough to reveal his plan. At least now he didn't have to face the truth of betrayal now. No one else needed to know how he knew about this safe haven.  
"For good reason, cyar'ika. But now that we are away from the barracks, I can safely tell you." Ponds nodded, watching the crowd in the distance. "We're going to Saleucami."

"Saleucami?" he asked, feeling a little confused by that answer. "What's there? I mean, I know it's pretty much deserted, but why Saleucami?"  
He trusted Ponds judgement. Of course he did. Why wouldn't he? But as far as he knew, Saleucami were yet another mud ball that was the home of farmers. He thought about that for a while. He didn't mind farming. It would be hard work, granted, but nothing that they couldn't make. They were strong together, that had been proved several times this night. Feeling a bubbling happiness in his belly, K'uur reached up to give Ponds a kiss on the cheek. He didn't care that he got the whole cloth in his mouth, he felt like all he wanted to do in this moment was to just kiss his love. But there would be a time for that too.

Looping one arm around K'uur's shoulders to pull him close, Ponds kissed his forehead through the cloth and smiled softly at his beloved. There was still a risk that they would be turned away from their final destination but Ponds was fairly sure that he could talk them through any hurdle. It was just a matter of getting there.  
"Let's just say that a little blue bird told me about a special little secret on Saleucami. I promised him I'd never reveal his secret and I won't, not until we get there." Ponds uttered, moving into the crowd around the station.

Slumping a little and distorting the rhythm of his stride to appear more like the civilians around them, Ponds headed straight for the ticket droid and purchased two tickets to the main spaceport. He didn't care about the looks from the people around them, they had no idea what he had sacrificed for them and he never intended to tell anyone.


	5. Chapter 5

Stifling a yawn, K'uur curled up in Ponds lap. It felt safe to have his lover close in this strange environment filled with loud noises and lots of people. K'uur rested his head against Ponds' chest, feeling content with having made it so far. As he looked around, he saw that some other kids on the train wore headphones, and K'uur would've given a lot to have a pair of his own. Matter of fact, he had secretly hoped that his savings would've been enough to get a pair, but now those credits had gone to something better, which he was glad for. So instead he leaned his head back and looked out of the window, hoping the spaceport weren't too far away.

Keeping a sharp watch for anyone that might throw a hydrospanner in their plans, Ponds gently ran his fingers over K'uur's arm and tried not to look guilty of anything. This was the most stressful part of the mission, there was nowhere to hide from the guards if anyone discovered them. When they got to the spaceport, they would have a better chance to hide from any prying eyes that might be watching.

As tiring as the constant alertness was, Ponds knew he couldn't risk relaxing until they were well away from Coruscant. Around here, people knew what the Guards looked like under their helmets, their faces were splashed across billboards across the planet. Ponds just hoped no one put it all together and got to desertion.

Feeling his love tense, K'uur realized with a pang just how much Ponds had to do to get them through this. Squeezing his arm a little, K'uur sat up straighter and scanned the room, helping Ponds to look out for guards.  
"Udesii." he said softly, caressing Ponds' arm a little more. They needed to do this together. He felt confident that people were as dumb around here as everyone gave them credit for. No one would be able to put two and two together. However, he kept a watching eye around them so that Ponds could relax some. Ponds needed to stay alert, and if K'uur could help him with that, he would do anything it took.

Taking comfort and strength from K'uur's presence with him, Ponds let his shoulders drop and rested his chin on K'uur's shoulder peacefully. He could see another couple snuggling on another chair not too far from them and tried to emulate what he was seeing from them. He had to be strong for K'uur but he also had to remember that K'uur was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Finally the train reached the spaceport and Ponds hoisted K'uur back onto his feet and stood, keeping his sweetheart tucked in against him as they left the train and weaved through the crowd in the station. Spotting a stall selling various headwear, Ponds paused and selected a brimmed cap to at least partially disguise who he was.  
"This way, my love. The main terminals are up there." Ponds guided, pointing up and to the right. "Soon we can leave this overcrowded mess behind."

Keeping close to his love, K'uur couldn't help but to snicker a little at the sight of Ponds in a cap. It wasn't even that funny, but apparently his frayed nerves thought so. He felt thankful for the fact that they would soon be off Coruscant. Not until then could he fully relax. Grabbing a firm hold of the back of his love's shirt, K'uur allowed himself to be guided up to the terminals.  
"That's a relief. I'm starting to feel a little nervous with so many people around me. And my scarf itches."  
Just then, K'uur's belly gave a low rumble. Really, it was embarrassing. One could not mess with the appetite of a clone, it seemed...  
"And maybe we could grab something to eat while we're at it?" he said with a flushed look on his face.

Finding a slightly less crowded route up to the main terminal, Ponds smiled softly at the mention of a meal and turned his attention to the big departure boards hanging in the main terminal. For a moment he was completely lost but he finally found their destination on one of the boards.  
"Okay, the next flight we want leaves in forty minutes. With this crowd, I'd guess it'll take us twenty to get to the boarding shuttle." Ponds muttered, doing the calculations as he scanned the crowds again. "We can grab something to eat on the way."

Spotting a familiar set of armour moving through the crowd, Ponds swore softly and spun, wrapping around his lover and hiding his face in K'uur's shoulder. They were so close to freedom, they couldn't risk being spotted just yet. Damn it, he hadn't counted on the Guard having such a visible presence here at this time of the evening.  
"Eyes down, play it cool." Ponds whispered, trying to look like just another civilian saying goodbye to someone they loved.

Freezing in his tracks, K'uur had to think quickly of something to do. The final result made him want to mentally slap himself, but it was the best he could come up with.  
"Now, you won't be away for to long. I won't miss you..." his voice were pitched higher than his normal tone, yet kept low. The perks of practicing singing. He made his body language tell any bypasses that they were two lovers having a tear-filled farewell. And surely the Guard would not want to intrude on something like that. It would be against protocol...he thought. Not sure, but thought.   
"No, I won't miss you. I'll just be broken to pieces while you're gone! Why are you doing this to me...Carl!?"  
As he took his time to sniffle fairly loudly, he took a quick scan around the room. Seeing how the set of armour were moving away from them slowly but surely, K'uur saw their chance.   
"Move it!" he hissed, grabbing hold of Ponds' arm in a way he thought his role would do. They had to move, and they had to do it now.

Stunned by the way K'uur had handled that situation, Ponds didn't even think about his reactions and followed K'uur through the crowd. Getting a firm grip on K'uur's shirt, Ponds pulled him back when he almost ran down the wrong walkway and guided him towards a little food kiosk at the end of their boarding corridor.  
"Nicely done, my love." Ponds grinned, waiting for the people at the counter to move aside.

Approaching the counter, Ponds was a little awed by the different foods on offer from just this small place. He wasn't quite sure what to order, it all looked so tasty. And any of it would be better than the rations he had in his pack.  
"What did you want to eat?" He asked, turning to K'uur again.

Looking in wonder at the different kinds of food, K'uur decided to play safe. Also, he found it not so little amusing to berate poor "Carl". Besides, it would be for the best if they had code names, in case anyone would recognize them.   
"Don't play that with me, mister! You know I want the roasted nuna sandwich, or have you forgotten about that too? It's right in front of you, Carl."  
Trying hard not to laugh at his very...stereotypical character, that still remained unnamed, K'uur felt how his mouth watered at the sight of the simple sandwich. It looked like a five star dish in comparison to the ones served in the mess hall, and K'uur couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it. He let his eyes show his joy through the glare he had sent Ponds. That was how little it took for them to communicate, a simple glance.

Returning K'uur's look with a hidden look of his own, Ponds turned his attention to the blue Twi'lek behind the counter and nodded. He wasn't used to playing a submissive role but he found he was actually enjoying it.  
"Two roast nuna sandwiches and two bottles of muja juice please." Ponds requested, spotting the bottles of sweet-tart purple juice in the cooler behind the twi'lek. "I've got a lot on my mind right now Ricky."

Pushing down on his instinct to check behind them for danger, Ponds pulled out his credits pouch and smiled softly as he waited for their food. This was so strange and yet oddly comforting at the same time. A taste of real freedom, something so many only dreamed about.

"More important than me, I suppose?!" K'uur said with a dramatic voice. Inwardly he were laughing his head off at the codename Ponds had given him. He swore, that if they walked out of this alive, K'uur would call Ponds "Carl" whenever they felt like having a laugh. It felt more like an affectionate game than a fight for their freedom.   
As Ponds payed for their meal, K'uur took the two sandwiches in his hands. Even though being wrapped up in plastic, they still looked delicious. With a huff, he turned away from Ponds as if he were in a hurry.   
"Come on, Carl! You're gonna miss your flight if you stop to talk with every sentiment being on this spaceport save from me!"

Thanking the vendor and collecting the drinks, Ponds hustled after his lover like he'd seen other men do when their female companions were angry at them. He would never dare compare K'uur to a woman but it was the closest situation he could think of that fit this mess. Scanning the gate markings as they passed, Ponds found their gates and whistled a sharp note, bringing K'uur's attention to their gate.  
"And you accuse me of being a scatterbrain at the moment." He remarked, reaching into his pocket for the tickets.

"Who are you calling a scatterbrain, you nerf herder?!" K'uur exclaimed as he went to stand beside his love. That was the silliest insult he could come up with without being flat out rude. That was nothing he wanted to be to Ponds, roles to play or not. Unwrapping his sandwich, K'uur eased down the scarf as good as he could and took a big bite of it. It DID taste as good as it looked. K'uur smiled at the sandwich, and then at Ponds.   
"Get something to eat. Force knows what you'll be doing when we arrive." he muttered, giving Ponds a small wink. Everything would be alright now, he knew it.

Scanning their tickets, Ponds guided K'uur into the shuttle lounge and over to one of the soft couches. So far the lounge was mostly empty, just a few tired looking folks sitting around in silence. Sinking down on the couch, Ponds opened his sandwich and bit into it. eyes widening slightly at the incredible flavours that splashed across his tongue. He'd been treated to a quick meal in the senate tower a few times after long nights on shift but nothing compared to this sandwich.

Seemingly melting into the softness of the couch, K'uur had to stifle yet another yawn as he leaned his head down in Ponds' lap. It was not easy to eat a sandwich with your head on someone's lap, but K'uur had learned how to be flexible. Sighing softly, he finished the sandwich far quicker than he'd have liked. Deciding against picking up one of his ration bars, which would just ruin the glorious aftertaste, K'uur buried his face in Ponds stomach. He couldn't exactly describe it as soft, given its taut muscles, but it smelled of Ponds, and that was good enough for him in this moment.

Finishing his sandwich and tossing the rubbish into the nearest bin with a flick of his wrist, Ponds sipped his drink and settled back against the soft cushions. Lightly caressing K'uur's arm, he kept one eye on the chrono on the wall and scanned for guards but he was fairly sure none would come in here.  
"Get some rest, angel. We've got half an hour before our shuttle leaves." Ponds soothed, using one foot to drag their packs closer to the couch.

It didn't take long for K'uur to dose off after that reassurance. He felt vaguely aware of everything around him, from the terminal being filled with more people to the steady breathing of his lover. He felt so mentally exhausted. The past three hours had been the most terrifying hours of his life. What we do for love... he thought sarcastically. It was true, what the holobooks said. He did throw all reason out the window for his love. His Ponds. And he would do it all over again.

Watching his lover sleep, Ponds smiled softly but he didn't dare lower his guard. They were so close to freedom, so close to leaving it all behind and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way. K'uur deserved this chance at freedom, they both did after all their sacrifices for this Republic. Now Ponds was wishing he'd left a note for Rex as well, apologising for abandoning his only real friend on the frontlines. An unlikely pair, they somehow found a comfortable balance between respect and friendship. Maybe once they were safely away he would try and get a message to Rex through a mutual friend.

Slowly he rose from his sleeping state, rubbing the last of the tiredness out of his eyes. He sat up in Ponds lap and gave his man a quick hug, a silly way of him to say "good morning".  
"How long now?" he asked, glancing at the chrono on the wall as he did so. He felt as if he'd been asleep for hours, when he matter fact only had slept for twenty minutes. There would be time for sleeping thoroughly later, he supposed. For now he needed to stay awake for Ponds.

"If we want to sit together for the flight up, we'd better get moving soon. Some of the others are already on the move." Ponds replied, leaning in to kiss K'uur's temple.

Easing K'uur up onto his feet and standing, Ponds shouldered his pack again and headed for the line leading towards the shuttle bay. For a moment he missed the ease of travel with the GAR but he squashed that thought ruthlessly. Now wasn't the time to get distracted. He had to get them onto the shuttle without anyone asking to see more of K'uur's face.

He moved with ease beside Ponds, knowing that everything could go to haran if anyone caught more of his face. Maybe he could say that it was some sort of religious thing with the scarf? Surely there were religions that supported the covering of head and face.  
K'uur felt a little squashed as Ponds pushed them through the crowd, but he didn't complain. If this was what they had to do, then surely it was worth it. But then Ponds moved a little too determined...  
"Easy, Carl." he hissed, not intending to play a role this time. "If you press too hard you might attract unwanted attention. We don't want that, remember?"  
K'uur tried not to be too harsh with his words, but it was hard, given the situation. But then all he could do was his best.

Snapped back to reality by K'uur's hissed warning, Ponds forced his nerves down again and took his place in the line. So much to think about, so many variables to consider. He couldn't wait to get off Coruscant and out into the safety of space. This was all starting to get a bit much.  
"Sorry, Ricky. I just want out of this ugly chaos. I never thought I'd miss the simple life but this is insane." Ponds replied, playing along just in case anyone overheard what K'uur had said.

K'uur very discreetly stomped on Ponds foot. Couldn't you have come up with a better name? laid hidden in the small act. He knew that it was overreacting, but he couldn't help himself. Just get off Coruscant...then it'll all be alright.   
"It's fine, my dear. Just think about our vacation to come. It's been forever since you took me on a vacation! Not since our honeymoon! I'm starting to wonder what has been keeping you." he muttered with a smile hidden underneath his scarf. Bad jokes. They usually helped to light up the mood.

Shooting K'uur a look that clearly told the younger clone exactly what he thought of "Carl", Ponds curled his arm around his back and kissed his temple again.  
"I'm sorry, love. I know I've been neglecting you and for that I'm truly sorry. But I promise, I'll dedicate the next three weeks to you alone. You're my everything, don't ever forget that, dearest one." Ponds offered, trying so hard to ignore the soft cooing from the young lady behind him.  
"Now that's just adorable. There's not enough innocent love out there these days." The young woman remarked, sticking her nose into their business as Ponds had noticed civilians tended to do sometimes.

Smiling brightly, K'uur turned to the woman who had just commented on their show of affection.  
"Isn't he adorable? I mean, what did I do to get a husband like this? Even if he's a jerk five times a week, this makes up for it."  
It was clearly more than the woman had bargained for, and K'uur had to keep down a giggle at the sight. He shot Ponds a look that clearly said "Got her, cyar'ika". He loved Ponds so much. It was getting a little tiresome to repeat those words, but he couldn't stop saying it. Ponds were his everything, and without him...well, that was a thought he rather not thought. It hurt too much. Pressing himself close to his lover, husband, whatever he was, K'uur went with the line as it moved.   
"Come on, love. The rest of our life is awaiting us."

Chuckling softly at K'uur's antics, Ponds really had to admire just how easily K'uur could banter with people. Be they friends or strangers, K'uur always had a witty remark for anyone he spoke to and Ponds loved it. Just how many words were there for love anyway? Ponds was fairly sure he'd used them all at least five times since he met K'uur. He really did adore the man.

Finally reaching the head of the line, Ponds presented their tickets and smiled lovingly at K'uur, hoping to distract the woman with a display of open affection so she didn't look too closely at them. He couldn't believe it when it actually worked though and they were waved through to the waiting shuttle.  
"And what a sweet life it will be, dearest." Ponds nodded, heading towards the shuttle with a happy bounce in his step.

"I won't let you out of my bed, you know that, Carl? I have that right to love you as your husband." He said with the cheekiest grin he could muster. It all came with the relief of having been let through the gate without any trouble whatsoever. Mentally, he thanked Ricky for being such a sport and saving them. Had it not been for his odd alter ego, things might not have proceeded this smoothly. Looking up at Ponds with all of his love and adoration shining through his eyes, K'uur knew that he would never regret making this choice. His future was by the side of his one true love, not laying dead on some battlefield. Boarding the shuttle with a bounce of his own in his steps, K'uur rested his head against Ponds' shoulder. Yep. This was the best decision to make.


	6. Chapter 6

It took them three weeks to reach Saleucami and as many sabbacc games as Ponds could manage to save up a sizeable bag of credits. Half of it he put in the bottom of his bag as a starting fund for their life together, the other half he put in a second bag to purchase a gift for their new friends. Ponds was hopeful that a useful gift would help to smooth out any bad blood that might arise.

Wandering through the markets near the spaceport, Ponds couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Here he was, out in public in civilian clothes holding hands with the love of his live. He'd never dared dream that such a thing would ever happen to him.  
"Okay, we need to find some kind of gift for our friends here. Something suitable for a farming family." He sighed, looking around slowly. "Any ideas?"

Today K'uur could outshine any star in the universe, that was how happy he was. Here they were out in public in the middle of the day, K'uur proudly showing off his lover for anyone who cared to look. The galaxy finally had decided to give them the justice they deserved.   
Thinking about Ponds' words, K'uur thoughtfully pushed back the huge hat that he hadn't been able to resist buying. It was stylish, black thing that barely had costed him any credits. An idea hit him, and with a bright smile he turned to his lover.  
"Families enjoy spending time together, am I right? Maybe a game of some sort could be fitting? I know it's not much, but it's something at least."

Nodding slowly, Ponds wandered towards one of the stalls that appeared to be selling toys and games. A game of some sort would suit the family side of things but Ponds couldn't help but think something to help with the farm might be an advantage too.  
"I like the idea of a game but I was wondering if we might be able to find some decent eeopies or something. Not that I know much about them but it seems like a suitable gift for a farming family." Ponds grinned, looking over the array of toys and games in front of them. "So many choices."

"I wouldn't go for an eopie," K'uur advised with a smile. "That would be an overkill, since we have no idea how to pick a suitable one, for starters. If we are talking farming animals, I'd go for a couple of nunas. Those are small and always needed at a farm. That gift would be welcome, I think."  
All the choices they could make was one of the thing K'uur enjoyed most about their freedom. It was everything from choosing between games, like now, to what dinner they would have for the evening. So many choices, and none of them could be wrong.   
Suddenly another one of his famous, witty comments popped up in his head. Smirking like a nexu in front of his pray, K'uur casually played with one of the toys as he spoke.   
"Or we could buy shovels. Very useful, something that is also needed. Buy two, to be exact. One for their farm, and one for me that I can use when your snoring gets unbearable, mister Sleeping Beauty."

Way to go Ponds, go right ahead and show the stallholder just what a total di'kut you are. He didn't know the first thing about farming but he remembered being told that their potential allies had eeopies on their farm.  
"And let's be honest, nuna eggs are great for breakfast." Ponds chuckled, still looking over the items in front of them. "My little blue bird mentioned a girl and a boy in the family."

It was so refreshing to be able to choose every little detail that affected their lives. No more uniforms or following orders. Finally they were free to pick and choose their own lives. Reaching out, he picked up a stuffed bear type thing and looked at it. But his attention was quickly yanked away by the latest quip from K'uur's mouth.  
"I'll have you know that I only snore when I'm absolutely exhausted." he scoffed, putting the bear down and turning his attention to the human woman behind the stall. "Can you help us? We're heading out to the Lawquane homestead and wanted to take them a gift."

"You keep telling yourself that, cyar'ika. You're not the one being kept awake by it at night." K'uur whispered in his ear before he flashed one of his most charming smiles towards the saleswoman. The woman returned the smile with all of the politeness of a seller.  
"Of course. Wonderful family, those Lawquanes." the woman said, and K'uur had to stifle a most inappropriate laugh at her extravagant tone as she and Ponds begun to chat about all various kinds of things. Something colourful caught his eye, and as he took a closer look to see what it was, K'uur found that it was a jumping rope in all various kinds of colours. K'uur recalled having seen young civilian girls using those during his patrols back on Coruscant. Maybe that would be a suitable gift to the girl.   
Unhooking it from where it was hanging, K'uur turned to present it to Ponds.   
"What do you think of this, my love? I think this could be of great joy for the girl."

Looking at the jumping rope K'uur had found, Ponds smiled and nodded. He could recall many a boring duty shift spent watching children at play near the senate rotunda, the soft noises of their jumping ropes hitting the duracrete in rhythms only the children knew.  
"I think she'll love it, but I'm no expect on kids." Ponds agreed, choosing to ignore that comment about his snoring. "But what about the boy?"  
"The last time the Lawquane's were in town, young Jek showed a great interest in these figures." The saleswoman offered, indicating a collection of animals and people in different outfits. "He was so disappointed when his father said he would need to wait until after the harvest and see what they had to spare."

"Action figures? Heh, how many parents haven't one seen breaking a child's heart because of those?" K'uur said with a warm grin as if he knew exactly what he was talking about. Again, he only knew this from various experiences from his watch shifts. His heart had always ached for those disappointed children. He would've made a rotten father, always spoiling any child of his. Not that there would be any children between him and Ponds, but that didn't stop him from loving children anyway.  
"I think one of those would be perfect. Always good to have the kids on your side in case their parents are still grouchy about last time..." K'uur said, giving the saleswoman a wink. He loved being out chatting with people, it made him feel alive, for some reason.

Looking at the action figures display closely, Ponds picked up one wearing something that looked vaguely like his old fatigues. There was a chance it would cause tension but it still felt like the best choice of the collection.  
"This one I think." Ponds nodded, showing it to K'uur. "It feels right to me but I could be wrong."

Attention drawn to one of the boxes on display, Ponds handed the figure to K'uur and picked it up, reading over the description on the back. He didn't know much about buying property or making financial choices but maybe this game could help him get a bit of an understanding of how those sorts of things worked.  
"And this as a family gift perhaps? The age range seems abut right for the kids." He suggested, turning the box over again.

K'uur nodded in approval at the game Ponds showed him.   
"Yes, I'm certain that would be very much appreciated."  
K'uur refused to think of any bad reactions that the Lawquane family could show at them turning up on their doorstep. He didn't want to think of what would happen if they were turned away... But he and Ponds would find a way regardless. They always did, no matter what.   
Smiling softly, K'uur fished up some credits from his pocket, giving an annoyed snort as his hat threatened to fall off. Stupid thing. Didn't even have anything to secure it with.   
Once again turning to the saleswoman, K'uur offered her the credits in his hand.   
"Please tell me I've gotten the price right. Math was never my strong suit in school, if you get what I mean, ma'am."

Slipping his pack off his shoulders, Ponds carefully tucked the purchased good amongst his few belongings as the saleswoman counted out the credits and placed a few smaller chits in K'uur's hand. Civilian life was still a mystery to Ponds but if this was the way it was done, it really wasn't that different to back home.  
"The best nunas are at a stall run by a Gran family. It's just down that way, you can't miss it." she offered, pointing to her right with a smile.  
"Thank you very much, ma'am." Ponds nodded, settling his pack on his shoulders again. "Ready, love?"

"Been born ready, smoochie." He said with a cheerful smile, trying out a new nickname that he'd been tinkering with for a while. Those names always came out of context, but seeing Ponds' reaction to them were priceless. Giving the woman a thankful wave of goodbye, K'uur trotted away a few steps ahead of his lover. It was odd how he seemingly shone brighter than the sun today. Matter of fact, he didn't know why he felt so happy. Maybe it was because the concept of freedom finally had sunk in so that he could enjoy it thoroughly? Or it was just that he felt happy and content by spending some much wanted quality time with his loved one. Speaking of loved one...  
"You never filled your part of the deal, smoochie." K'uur said, turning to Ponds with a wide smile. "I suppose we haven't exactly gotten the time for it, but I'm getting a little tired with waiting for nothing to happen."

Choking on his own spit at the truly sickening pet name that had just rolled off K'uur's tongue, Ponds scanned the stalls around them and smirked as he spotted exactly what he wanted. Moving away from his lover, Ponds approached the stall and chose one of the glimmering items displayed so beautifully. It was expensive but totally worth it to see K'uur's reaction to this.

Catching up with his beloved, Ponds stopped him with a gentle hand and came around to stand in front of him. Finally all those nights spent watching movies with Fox paid off as Ponds sunk to one knee and looked up at him.  
"K'uur, I have little to my name but what I have is yours. I give you my heart, my soul, my breath, my very life. All I ask in return is that you agree to be my wedded husband for the rest of our lives." Ponds declared, holding out the gold and silver ring in both hands

Now it was K'uur's time to choke on the air in a truly undignified way. Eyes blown wide, all he could do was to stare at Ponds in shock at the sudden turn of events. Then his face softened into a smile, and tears of joy threatened to stream down his face. Slowly he reached down to cover Ponds' hands with his own, gripping them tightly for support that he would need if he were about to give that mini speech after all.  
"Since that first time when you mistook me for someone else, my life have been a life worth living. Never had I dreamed of meeting someone who would love me for who I am, someone I didn't have to prove myself to, and then you came and proved me wrong. I may not be the best of men, but all the good that I give is simply for you. You have my- oh fek!" he exclaimed in exasperation as a single tear fell over and he had to wipe it away with the back of his hand.  
"Yes, my heart, my love. I'll be your everything."

Getting back to his feet, Ponds slipped the ring onto K'uur's hand and held him tight, overcome with emotions now that everything was technically official for them. They could still never have a proper wedding, the GAR would be sure to find them if they did that but at least now K'uur truly understood just how much Ponds loved him.  
"I love you K'uur, so very much." Ponds whispered, smiling softly as the people around them burst into applause. "And when we finally make it through, I'll give you the best wedding I can."

"Di'kut," K'uur said affectionately, grinning like a maniac at Ponds with tears in his eyes. "You already have."  
And with that, he closed the small distance between them with the most passionate kiss he had ever given. This time he let the words speak for him, letting his dancing tongue and moving lips tell Ponds just how much he loved him, how much he cared, how he never could be apart from him. Then it was over all too soon. After all the joy and pain they'd been through together, they were finally united as husband and...husband. Well, it was fairly traditional, but it worked. Never letting his smile falter, K'uur caressed his new husband's face.  
"But maybe I'll take you up on that offer, because I always used to imagine my wedding in a dress."

"No, cyar'ika, this is just the proposal. We'll have a proper Mando ceremony once we reach the homestead and settle down." Ponds whispered, panting softly as he nuzzled into K'uur's hand. "I intend to make this a proper union, even if we can never record it."

Resting their foreheads together, Ponds presented his lover with the second ring he'd purchased and smiled softly as they started to rock side to side. He didn't care if they were making a scene, he was the happiest man in the galaxy right now.  
"I would like to see you all dressed up for our special day."

"I bet you would," K'uur whispered back, tilting his head so that their noses bumped together. "I wouldn't wear something white, I hate white, but something special. Don't be surprised if I actually wear a dress, cyar'ika."  
Smiling softly at his love, K'uur pressed another sort kiss to Ponds' lips. They couldn't stay here forever, they'd have to move soon, but for once he wanted to savour this moment that he'd remember as one of the happiest in his life. Another wave of tears hit him, and he cursed himself for being so emotional. Ponds weren't bawling like a child, and he were just as happy as K'uur were. Sniffling softly, K'uur leaned back a little to just look at Ponds. He had always been beautiful, but the last three weeks the happiness had made him look even more beautiful.  
"We both know that I can't stop the tears worth a damn...and I'd really like to get going so that I can have you in private." K'uur said with the beginning of a grin, reaching out to grab Ponds' hand.

Scrubbing one hand over his face, Ponds nodded and squeezed K'uur's hand lightly. He just wanted to hold K'uur and release his joyful tears but he also understood that they couldn't just stand in the street and continue to make a scene. They still had a long speeder journey ahead to reach the homestead. Bringing their joined hands up, Ponds pressed a sweet kiss to K'uur's knuckles and continued to walk.

Such an emotional rollercoaster, the highs and lows of their escape together playing around in his head, Ponds wiped away the tears he couldn't stop and smiled tenderly at his precious love. This was just the first step in a life long story of joy and closeness.  
"Anything rowdy will have to wait, love. There are children to think about." Ponds warned, returning the smiles offered by total strangers and accepting their congratulations on their engagement.

"Ponds!" K'uur exclaimed with pretended horror. "Just what kind of a man do you take me for?" The laugh were evident in his voice, as if nothing could bring him down now. Never had he experienced such kindness from any civilians when he still had been CT-1415 on Coruscant. Most people hadn't payed him any mind, and often K'uur had asked himself if they knew what he and his brothers sacrificed for them. The answer had always been no. Either they didn't know, or didn't care. But here people walked around smiling at them, congratulating them on their engagement. Just like that woman had commented on their love at the spaceport. If they knew who he was, what they were, K'uur wondered if they would react so kindly. This time he had no answer. And why think of the bad things in this time of joy? 

"That doesn't happen to be the nuna stall, does it?" he asked Ponds and pointed down in the general direction of where he had seen it. "Let's get this done with, shall we?"

Gaze drawn to the nuna cages he could see, Ponds smiled again and headed for the shady stall. He had no idea how to pick a good nuna but he was fairly sure the stallholder would be able to help them. This was yet another skill they needed to learn but so far Ponds was enjoying this education in civilian life.  
"I'd say this is the place we want. I don't see any other nuna stalls around here." Ponds nodded, looking around slowly. "Think you can handle getting six females and a male? I just spotted something that I think would be appreciated."

Wandering over to the stall that had caught his eye, Ponds scanned the display slowly and grinned. Any brother would be delighted to get one of these, Ponds could only imagine what some of these items even tasted like. Looking at the prices displayed, Ponds had a feeling this was something else that the Lawquane family didn't have often.  
"Can I help you with anything?" The older man behind the display asked, getting to his feet slowly and spreading his hands. "A gift basket for your new husband perhaps?"  
"Would it be possible to purchase a basket for the family we are going to visit?" Ponds asked, looking up from the incredible display.

K'uur stayed in the background as Ponds chatted with the stallholder. He had brought the edge of his hat down to cover the furious blush that had crept over his face at the mention of being Ponds new husband. It delighted him, of course, but all of this open kindness was starting to become a little too much to handle. However, he didn't let the hat cover the big grin plastered on his face. How typical of him to play the blushing bride...  
Looking around the stall, K'uur found that he really thought nunas were cute animals. Which was weird, but at the same time not. As long as no one dragged home a hyperactive massiff pup he would be fine with most animals. And maybe a massiff pup would've been cute to have...Grizzer had been one adorable little thing, despite being a monster in size medium. He still remembered Hound's excitement when he got the tiny puppy. K'uur had found it rather odd, but soon the little cub had been able to prove him wrong.   
With a dreaming smile on his face, K'uur hovered near Ponds. He looked forward to meet new people, especially the children. It would be more than enough to satisfy his never-ending curiosity.

Fully aware of K'uur's eyes on him, Ponds couldn't help the faint flush that coloured his cheeks. IT was still sinking it, he was a civilian now and had just proposed to his beloved in front of dozens of total strangers. That thought was both terrifying and liberating in the same heartbeat. Marriage had always seemed like such a foreign concept but now he was facing a beautiful wedding of his own.  
"Of course, if you would care to tell me how many people are in this family, I will pack a suitable basket for them." The older man nodded, indicating the baskets hanging above their heads in neat rows.  
"It's a family of four. Two children, a girl and a boy. I don't know exactly how old they are, I'm terrible at guessing ages in children." Ponds replied, glancing over towards his lover. "You probably know them. The Lawquane family."  
"Ah yes, Suu and Cut. Wonderful people, Cut would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it." The man smiled, reaching up and tugging one of the baskets free. "I know the family well, this will be certain to make them happy."

Keeping one hand on his credit pouch to protect it from thieves, Ponds turned his attention towards the nuna stall and chuckled at the sight of K'uur petting one of the creatures through the bars of its cage. It was cute really and for a moment Ponds wished he'd kept his recorder close to the top of his gear instead of shoving it to the bottom of his pack. He just hoped there would be other chances to catch K'uur being adorably innocent.

Cooing a little at the small animal, K'uur glanced up at Ponds with an affectionate look. Finding his love chuckling at him, a spark of mischief flared up in K'uur. Abandoning the nuna for a moment, he got up to stand behind Ponds. Quickly he opened up the pack, shoving his hand down and rummaging through it before he grabbed what he'd been looking for. Triumphantly hauling up the recorder, K'uur gave Ponds his most innocent grin.   
"There. Go over to the nuna and look cute. Preferably you whistle a tune or something, but that's up to you." he said as he shooed his lover in the main direction of the nuna cage. This would be something for the family album for years to come.

Glancing at the man still busily arranging the basket he'd requested, Ponds set his pack down and wandered over to the nuna stall. Crouching beside one of the cages, he was amazed that the little creatures immediately came closer to him, poking their heads through the bars and fluttering their wings. They were cute little things, if a bit noisy when they were stirred up.  
"Don't often see people stopping to pet the nuna." The aged twi'lek woman noted, smiling fondly at Ponds. "Are you interested in buying any?"  
"Actually, yes Ma'am." Ponds replied, still lightly touching the creatures as he looked up at her. "A male and six females would be perfect I think."  
"I can certainly organise that for you." She nodded, moving towards the back of her stall.

Hopeful that K'uur had finished with his recording, Ponds straightened and came back to his lover with a smirk on his face. But his attention was quickly distracted by the finished basket the old man was holding out to him. Overflowing with treats and wrapped up in brightly coloured flimsi, it was a stunning gift that would hopefully set them in good standing with the family.  
"Take it with my blessings." He insisted, placing the basket in Ponds' hands. "You remind me of my youth when I still had the love of my life."

Satisfied with the recording he had gotten, K'uur turned off the device with a wide grin on his face. Seeing how his love's attention were drawn to something, K'uur turned to see the most stunning little piece of art he'd ever seen. The basket looked beautiful, as if someone had put his heart into simply arranging it. Feeling completely overwhelmed by the kindness shown them, K'uur looked at the man with a mixture of gratitude and shyness on his face.  
"Thank you, sir, I- this is too much. I don't know how to repay you for your kindness." he managed to stutter out, his voice thick with emotions. Looking up at his love, he felt a little reassured seeing that Ponds seemed to be fighting the same battle as he were. Kindness in the likes of this was as foreign to any clone who had only known harshness all his life.

Tucking the basket to his chest carefully so he didn't crush it, Ponds extended his hand in thanks to the old man. Such kindness and generosity was almost unknown in their lives, most civilians never even looked twice at clones.  
"You are too kind, good sir. If there is ever anything we can do for you, do not hesitate to ask." Ponds offered, struggling to speak past the raw emotion in his throat. "Thank you so much."  
"We have a saying around here, young man. Whenever kindness falls upon you, be sure to pay it forward. You never know when it might come back your way." The old man replied, shaking Ponds' hand firmly. "And please give the Lawquane's my kind regards, the name's Rencha. I know they've had some terrible luck lately. They'll be glad for the distraction I think."  
"Of course Rencha, I will certainly do that." Ponds nodded, adjusting his hod on the basket quickly. "Thank you again."

"Thank you again, Rencha," K'uur said, still feeling overwhelmed, but certainly not unhappy, by the kindness shown them. "I'll never forget your kindness."  
Giving Ponds an excited smile, K'uur leant a little closer to look at the basket. It looked even more beautiful up close. He certainly enjoyed being a civilian, if this was what being one meant. Living a life so far from war, where people rarely showed greed, hatred, the urge to hurt people was a brand new concept to him, but the kindness and selflessness shown two total strangers were something he would lately forget. Now he even felt more encouraged to reach out and talk to others, to break through his own comfort zone. That life could be so beautiful, he had never known.

"What else do we have to do while we're here, my love?" K'uur whispered, feeling a little embarrassed that he had to ask something he should've remembered. "Because I think my mind just went blank..."

Humbled by the kindness shown to them by a total stranger, Ponds flushed faintly and headed back towards the nuna stall. It was so strange to move among people who meant them no harm, who simply wished to share what they could create or produce on their lands. No pointless deaths, no angry riots, nothing but peace and a certain tranquillity. No one here knew them and yet, they were all so kind and giving to the happy pair.

Returning to the nuna stall, Ponds handed the gift basket to K'uur and paid for the seven birds in two larger cages the woman had sitting on the table in front of her. Picking up the cages, being careful not to disturb the animals too much, Ponds turned and grinned at K'uur.  
"Okay, now we've got everything. Let's head for the speeder and head out." He guided, slipping in beside his lover again

"Well, phew. I'm really appreciating everyone's kindness, but I've got to say that I'm a little overwhelmed. Could you imagine if life had been like this for the rest of us?"  
For those left behind, he added in his mind. He still felt guilty about leaving some of his brothers behind. Living life as someone not even recognized as human were no life to live. Yet what was done was done.   
"You'll have to drive, since it's you who know all about it. Besides...I never were any good at driving speeders. I have a nasty habit to start panicking whenever things don't go my way, and panicking is not good while in a speeder, don't you think?"  
K'uur had way too many bad memories of him and speeders. Maybe one day he would tell Ponds...but for now, it was still too embarrassing to admit anything...


	7. Chapter 7

Their speeder had clearly seen better days, Ponds had a feeling the thing was older than he was but it was still in serviceable condition and they had gotten a good price on it. Decorated in at least six different colours and overed in dings, dents and scratches, it was an ugly thing but Ponds loved it. That battered old speeder was his, his first real civilian possession and he was thrilled. It was crazy really but he couldn't help the pride in owning his first speeder.  
"I don't know all about it, just the basics. My little blue bird wasn't very specific but one of the vendors gave me a digital map to the farmhouse." Ponds replied, setting the nuna cages on the back seat and turning back to K'uur. "Hey now, smile for me cyar'ika. There's nothing to worry about, we're safe now."

K'uur made a smile that turned into a grimace while he shrugged his shoulders.  
"I wasn't unhappy, cyar'ika, merely a little worried about how they will react at us showing up on their doorstep... I mean, I'm thrilled to finally meet them, but those small worries remain, you know."  
Even though the speeder were old, and in most people's eyes, probably ugly, K'uur found had taken the vehicle to heart. He loved the feeling of being able to sink down into its seat, even though it were worn from everyone that had been sitting in it before him. The speeders he had gone in before had been far from comfortable, and the shell of his armour had always stopped him from feeling any possible comfort from the seatings. How much he has hated that armour. On every occasion given he had gone without it, and on Ryloth he had even shed it in possible hostile territory. Yet the most dangerous thing he had encountered that night had been Ponds...and as those memories flooded back into his head, K'uur flushed, turning away from his love while biting his lower lip to keep himself from giggling. Once he felt somewhat more composed, he turned back to Ponds.   
"So. We are getting married finally."

Firing up the engines and setting the digital map on the dash, Ponds smiled softly as he pulled out of the line and headed to the south-west. These seats were so comfortable, the padding worn but still so comfortable under his back. Steering with one hand, he reached out and lightly curled his fingers around K'uur's hand happily. This still didn't feel real but Ponds knew it would feel more realistic once they had time to settle and talk about it.  
"We're really getting married. Within the month, I promise. I want this to be special but I also don't want to upset Cut and Suu. There's no telling how they will react to our relationship but I won't hide this from them. But we have to hide this from the kids, at least for a while." Ponds nodded, hating that they needed to hide but he was just trying to get a roof over their heads.

Nodding slowly, K'uur flashed Ponds a smile. He understood that not everyone found their relationship as natural as they did, he had learned that back on Coruscant.  
"Of course, I understand. That means bye -bye to stealing kisses at random places?" he chuckled. It didn't really bother him. He were used to having to hide their love anyway, what did it matter to hide it some more?   
Humming in content, K'uur looked out at the landscape for a while. There really was nothing to see, but it was always something. Coruscant had no vegetation, so all kinds of plants and wildlife fascinated him a whole lot. Turning back to Ponds, another thing suddenly hit him.   
"And I wasn't joking about the dress... I really want one. Call me crazy...I do."

Slowing down a little to enjoy the scenery around them, Ponds relaxed back in his seat a little more and looked over at his lover. He had never liked having to hide their relationship in the GAR but as an officer, he had little choice on the matter. He couldn't risk a court-marshal for conduct unbecoming. But now, he had no reason to worry about hiding anything, unless the children were around. No big deal, they'd hidden it before but Ponds really hoped they would get this all sorted out soon so they could move on with their civilian lives together.  
"Cyar'ika, I already know you're crazy. So if you want a wedding dress for our special day, I'll do whatever I have to so you can have your dream wedding." Ponds promised, watching the map and following the highlighted track.

Snorting in response to that, K'uur shook his head.   
"Now that'll be something to show the grandchildren..." he muttered with a cheeky smile. Ponds were an angel without wings for putting up with all of his antics. Most days he even got tired of himself...but Ponds were ever so patient with him. How he had deserved someone like that, he didn't know, and most certainly didn't care. He had someone who loved him and someone to love in return.  
Noticing the shift in landscape, K'uur realized that they probably had entered farmland or something much like that. Feeling the excitement and anxiousness bubbling up inside of him once more, he thought that they couldn't be far away now. And indeed. In the horizon he could even spot buildings if he looked hard enough.  
"Well, here goes nothing..." he breathed out more to himself than to Ponds. He really hoped this would go as well as his love claimed.

Checking the map and nodding slowly, Ponds squeezed K'uur's hand again and forced the tension out of his shoulders. Now he was starting to wish he'd changed his shirt, his current one was filthy but he had nothing else clean. Yet another thing to get used to, he'd never had to buy clothes for himself before. Swallowing his nerves and trying to be the confident man he knew he could be, Ponds turned the speeder towards the buildings he could see in the distance and cruised along the wide track.  
"Grandchildren, now there's a sweet thought." He agreed, slowing down and easing the battered old speeder to a stop outside the buildings.

Jumping out, Ponds looked around for a moment before deciding the building in front of him was the house and heading up the stairs. He was just about to knock on the door when it flew open and he was confronted with an angry pink twi'lek woman.  
"Suu Lawquane?" Ponds asked, keeping his hands in clear sight. "I'm a friend of Rex."

Little blue bird. Rex. As in Captain Rex, he assumed. It all made sense now how Ponds had gotten the information. Yet K'uur had no time to linger in those thoughts with the angry twi'lek woman, Suu, right in their faces. Not wanting to bang out on his lover, but still not wanting to come too close to Mrs Lawquane, K'uur kept one step behind his love, trying hard not to let his curiosity get the better of him. It hadn't gotten him in trouble before, and he most certainly wouldn't let it now. Following Ponds example by keeping his hands up, K'uur cautiously regarded the woman.  
"Please, ma'am, we mean you nor your family no harm." he said quietly, going back to a role he had played all of his life: the submissive, rule obeying trooper. But honestly, Mrs Lawquane put good old Commander Thorn to shame with her anger. And K'uur had no idea what to do or say.

Making sure to keep K'uur tucked behind him safely, refusing to put his beloved at risk when this had all been his wild idea, Ponds removed his cap and smiled softly. He really didn't like looking down the barrel of a rifle, he still had so much to live for. Digging deep for his calm and training, Ponds reached up and gently pushed the barrel away from his face.  
"Ma'am, we're not here to cause any trouble. I'm Ponds and this is K'uur. Rex didn't want to tell anyone but he carries so many secrets for so many people that he decided to trust me with his mission on Saleucami. No one else knows anything." Ponds tried, keeping the weapon aimed away from them. "Please Ma'am, I know this is concerning but allow us to explain before you decide our fate."

Glaring at them for a moment longer, Suu nodded and lowered the weapon at last. Aware that K'uur was probably uncertain about how to proceed, Ponds moved to the side and indicated their speeder. He wasn't sure about the welcoming rituals on this world so he just went for it and hoped for the best.  
"We thought to stop and purchase gifts for your family and home before we came out here. We were not certain what would be appropriate so we selected a few different options." Ponds tried, starting to wish he'd paid more attention in some of his public relations seminars.  
"I will go tell my husband that you wish to see him. When you are ready, come inside and we will talk." Suu nodded, turning and heading inside but she left the door half-open for them.

K'uur made sure to keep his mouth shut as they spoke. He hadn't anything good to add anyway. But it was frightening to see a gun barrel pointed at Ponds...even though he should've been used to it by now. Being submissive did not mean that he weren't protective. Oh no, quite the opposite. He suspected that it had something to do with having been a scout, those brothers tended to be nervous things. So it was with a firm grip around his love's wrist that K'uur kept a watching eye over the woman. He knew it was stupid, since Ponds were more than capable to handle himself should something happen, but K'uur preferred to take the known before the unknown.  
Now looking with uncertainty at the door, K'uur looked up at Ponds again.  
"Do you think we should follow...?" he asked, feeling stupid for even having to. But then it was Ponds that were the mastermind behind this plan.

Turning and wrapping K'uur in his arms, Ponds kissed his cheek and sighed softly, releasing the tension that had been cramping up his back. Just one more barrier between them and true freedom, Ponds wasn't sure what they would do if Cut turned them away.  
"We should grab the presents and move the nunas into the shade before we head inside. It would be rude not to take the gifts inside now...I think." Ponds guided, drawing away reluctantly.

It only took them a minute to move the nunas into the shade near the house and grab the rest of the gifts. Pack slung over his shoulder, Ponds picked up the gift basket again and gave K'uur a reassuring smile. This was all so strange, Ponds had no idea how to talk to civilians on an equal level, K'uur was usually the more outgoing one but somehow Ponds felt confident enough to handle this matter.  
"Ready, cyar'ika?" he asked, watching K'uur for any sign of hesitation.

Taking a deep breath in order to steady himself, K'uur flashed Ponds what he hoped would be a confident smile. He were fairly certain that he failed at that point, since the nervousness inside of him refused to die down.  
"I'm ready." he said with a voice sounding as if he'd inhaled helium. Oh kriff it. He weren't ready, but did he have a choice in the matter? Either this or risking their entire future together. The choice was easy in the end.  
"Let's do this, cyar'ika..."  
Someone had once told him that if you thought negative thoughts, things would end up just as badly as you had imagined them to. K'uur had never really believed that, but some nice thoughts would've been welcome in that moment. Never had he been a religious man, but now K'uur found himself praying to whoever would listen that this would end in their favour. Taking the first, tentative step into the house, K'uur knew that there would be no turning back now. But he'd have Ponds to catch him if he fell, and that was more reassuring than anything else.

Pausing just outside the house to pull off his boots, Ponds left them sitting neatly by the door and stepped inside. He wasn't sure why but that little detail about Mando culture always stayed with him. Waiting a moment for K'uur to follow his lead, Ponds scanned the simple interior and smiled softly. This place, as cobbled together as it appeared outside, had a real feeling of home on the inside. It was warm and cosy, the soft sounds of the local holonet channel a backnote to a hushed conversation behind a curtain in one corner of the main room.

Clearing his throat, Ponds suddenly felt like an idiot again as the curtain parted and Suu stepped into sight again. She didn't seem as angry anymore, a faint smile touching her lips as she came over to them.  
"We also purchased seven nunas for your farm. One male and six females. We left them in the shade near the porch until you decided what to do with them." Ponds offered, holding out the basket. "Please accept this as thanks for welcoming us into your home."  
"Oh, one of Rencha's baskets. That is so kind of you, thank you." Suu replied, accepting the basket and looking at it closely. "I must find the time to go and see him again."  
"Rencha also asked that we pass on his kind regards." Ponds added, relieved to see their gift so happily accepted.  
"Cut is waiting for you, just behind those curtains. He's had a bit of bad luck lately and could use some cheering up." Suu guided, turning away from them. "Are you hungry, I can prepare you something while I'm making up Cut's afternoon snack."

K'uur looked around the house in wonder. Never had he been in someone's personal home before. Sure, he had been in the senate building a few times, bit that hardly counted as a home. Because this was personal, something the family had placed a thought behind. Despite his nerves, K'uur felt strangely at home in here. Clutching onto Ponds' arm like a child in need of guidance, he allowed his eyes to wander, taking in every single detail as if he never wanted to forget. Looking back up at Suu as she asked if they wanted something to eat, K'uur didn't feel quite sure of what to answer. He wouldn't have minded something to eat...but that could wait.  
"No thank you, ma'am," he said shyly while shaking his head, still half hidden behind Ponds. "I'm good."  
It pained him to feel weak. It always did. He couldn't feel any pride while hiding behind his love. What was he so afraid of? Being turned away? Hadn't they already settled that that probably wouldn't happen? Or was it something else? K'uur didn't know. All the he knew was that the feeling wouldn't leave him alone.

Refusing to let his own wonder and amazement show, Ponds knew he needed to be strong and confident for K'uur. In time his younger lover would calm down and adjust to civilian life but until he did, Ponds would keep him safe.  
"That would be appreciated, Suu. But only if it is no trouble." Ponds nodded, patting K'uur's hand lightly.  
"No trouble at all." Suu smiled, looking at K'uur a moment longer before walking away.  
"She's onto you, cyar'ika. You can't hide from her and you'll soon understand why." Ponds uttered, smiling softly at his mate.

Reaching deep for calm, Ponds smiled fondly at K'uur and headed for the curtains. He wasn't quite sure what the think about these repeated mentions of Cut's run of bad luck, first from Rencha and now Suu. Something terrible must have happened, Ponds couldn't think of any other reason why this bad luck would be such an issue.

"Sorry..." he hissed as Suu turned and walked away. "I'm...I'm just a little nervy. It'll pass..."   
It wasn't really necessary for him to try and explain, Ponds understood him even when his words failed him. Telling himself sharply to sober up, he followed Ponds towards the curtains. He were really curious about this man, Cut Lawquane. He hadn't gotten much from Ponds about him, and all those words about Cut being down on his luck puzzled him. If everyone knew about it, then it must've been one haran of a screw up. K'uur really hoped it wouldn't have happened something too bad. He were a peaceful thing who didn't like to see other people hurting. Regaining some of his smile, K'uur straightened his back and tried to be the loving young person he knew he could be. This would be good. This was for the best.

Glancing over his shoulder to make Suu wasn't watching, Ponds leaned in and stole a brief kiss from unresisting lips. It wasn't much but he hoped it would be enough to reassure his love that everything was okay. Setting his pack on the floor near the wall and retrieving a small box from among his possessions, Ponds nodded once and parted the curtains slowly.

Well, now that explained the mentions of bad luck. The man on the cot was clearly a brother, even though he tried to hide what he was. His long hair was loosely pulled back and he looked like he hadn't shaved today but his clothes were clean and his smile was warm. He could have been any other clone, except for the fact they were so far from any Republic base. As for the bad luck, well he was resting there on his cot with a brightly decorated cast around his lower left leg.

Feeling surprised, yet most satisfied with the kiss he received, K'uur smiled up at Ponds when most of his fears were chased away. His angel. What would he do without him? 

Following Ponds behind the curtains, K'uur suspicions were confirmed as the man on the cot clearly were, if not a very well hidden, brother. So it was another deserter, just like them. Seeing the cast around the man's, Cut's, leg made K'uur wince in sympathy. Bad luck alright. It looked a lot worse than the last injury K'uur had seen: Commander Thorn's abused crotch. Feeling more confident again, K'uur flashed Cut a smile of his own, getting into the role of a caring brother easily.  
"Su cuy'gar, vod!" he greeted with a voice he hoped didn't sound to chirpy. "I hope your leg isn't bothering you too much?"

Shifting a little on his cot, Cut nodded slowly as he looked at the pair. When Suu had told him that they had a couple of clones on the doorstep, he didn't believe her. He hadn't expected two complete strangers to turn up, though he was happy for the company. He had missed the presence of his brother after Rex left so he wasn't totally against the idea of two brothers staying with them for a while.  
"Su cuy'gar, vode." Cut grinned, looking down at his leg for a second. "Nothing to worry about, vod. Slipped off the roof a few weeks ago, I'll be fine in another week or two."

Relieved to hear K'uur was back to being his usual friendly self, Ponds smiled softly as he padded over to settle on one of the chairs near the cot. He wasn't overly surprised by the wary look Cut was giving them, he hadn't really had much of a chance to tell Suu anything that she could tell Cut.  
"Peace vod, we mean you no trouble. I am Ponds and this is K'uur, we're deserters just like you. Rex was burdened with too many secrets and knew that I was one that would have little choice but the leave the GAR one day. He told me your story so that I could rest in the knowledge that I had somewhere to go when the time came." Ponds explained, looking at K'uur for a second. "You found the love of your life as a free man. I found mine in the ranks."

It didn't seem the matter whether they were soldiers or civilians, brothers always seemed to get hurt while working. Smiling softly, K'uur settled on the chair next to Ponds. Cut Lawquane seemed like an easy going fellow. As usual he allowed Ponds to take the lead and tell Cut about them. He hadn't known that Rex and Ponds had been such good friends, but then he should've suspected it. Ponds could make a good friend with everyone he came across. Meeting his love's gaze for a second, K'uur gave him a short nod in reassurance of what he suspected was to come. But hearing Ponds actually saying it made K'uur look down with a flush on his cheeks, not knowing whether he should hide the beautiful ring gracing his finger or not. Why would he? Cut would anyway put two and two together, so what purpose did it serve to hide it?  
"We wanted peace, we realized that we couldn't bear the thought of losing one another to this horrible war..." K'uur said quietly, looking back up again. "So we decided to run."

Smiling at the mention of Rex, Cut adjusted the pillow at his back and relaxed. These two were no threat to his family, they were just two lost souls in need of a safe place to hide. At least they weren't half dead like he had been when he'd first arrived on Saleucami. They would be safe here and would soon learn the farming lifestyle.  
"You are welcome here, vod. Too many of our brothers have already been lost to this damned war. Life out here is hard but I know you will adapt and find a new peace here." Cut offered, extending one hand in friendship. "For now you can use the spare room upstairs, so long as you keep any intimate moments quiet and away from my children. They are still young and innocent, I don't want that ruined just yet. When we have enough supplies, we'll build you your own home behind the barn."

Clasping Cut's forearm firmly in his hand, Ponds smiled and nodded his understanding. He had already expected that Cut would want things kept quiet but he was relieved for the confirmation. The offer to build a new home really touched Ponds, he had never dreamed that he would become a home owner so quickly.  
"You have our thanks, vod, and our word that your children will not see anything inappropriate. We're used to being sneaky if we want a private moment. I never dreamed that we would be welcomed in so readily, we are strangers to you." Ponds remarked, releasing Cut's arm and wrapping one arm around K'uur.

Stunned by the selfless generosity shown, K'uur reached out to clasp Cut's arm in a firm grip of his own. For a moment he had considered giving the man a hug, but had decided against it since that certainly would be an overkill. Maybe in the future.   
"I cannot begin to thank you, vod," he said sincerely, smiling warmly at his brother. No matter what, brothers looked out for each other, something K'uur were immensely grateful for.   
"I promise to be careful so that your children don't grow up to fast. Even though I've only watched them from a distance while still in service, I've always found that I've loved their innocent view on life, or something like that."  
He considered mentioning the want to have some of his own, but then he didn't want to push his luck. Cut might not have shown any discomfort with their relationship, but saying too much could change that in a heartbeat.

Smiling warmly as Suu entered his little room again, Cut accepted the meal she held out to him and chuckled as she handed matching bowls to their guests. He wasn't surprised that she'd come out with the offer of food, she'd learned a lot about clones since he came into her life.  
"We can't ask for much more, K'uur. I've no doubt you'll pick up the farming lifestyle faster than I did." Cut nodded, welcoming Suu to sit beside him. "I suggested they use the spare room for now. Once we have the supplies, we can build them a place of their own behind the barn."  
"So long as they are prepared to work for it, I have no issue with them staying. No one gets a free ride out here." Suu agreed, resting one hand on Cut's knee lightly.  
"We wouldn't know what to do with a free ride, we've never had anything given to us before." Ponds replied, tucking into the offered meal happily. "This is good, Suu."  
"I'm glad you like it, Ponds." Suu smiled, getting to her feet again. "Enjoy your catch up, dearest. I will go and make certain the spare room is clean before the children return."

Despite having said no to the offered meal earlier, K'uur couldn't resist it now as it were placed before him. Besides, a free meal never hurt. Tucking into his meal with just as much enthusiasm as his love, K'uur made small humming noises in content as the flavours exploded on his tongue.  
"Thank you, ma'am," he said cheerfully. "This is delicious."  
Smiling warmly at Ponds, K'uur shuffled on the chair to sit closer to him. It was a ridiculous amount of effort that it took to move the chair this way, but it wasn't as if K'uur minded. Right now he were happy enough to pull one of his trademark antics, when he came up with one, that was. Until that moment he just sat there chewing happily on his meal as he looked around the room.  
"It's a very cosy home you've built for yourself here," he said a little shyly, hoping what he said wouldn't be considered rude by their host. "I've never seen anything of the likes of it. The senate building was so...impersonal, if you get what I mean."

"You are most welcome, K'uur. My food is simple but nutritious. Cut told me about the slop he ate in the army. I can only guess you have a similar tale." Suu nodded, pausing just inside the curtains. "You will never be confronted with slop in my home."  
"That would certainly be appreciated, Suu. I've had more than enough of grey slop." Ponds grinned, taking his time with the delightful meal on offer.  
"Cut can guide you where to put your bowls when you're done. I have chores to attend to." Suu smiled, leaving the men to talk in peace. "And I'm glad you like our home, K'uur."

Looking down into his bowl for a moment, Cut smiled softly as he looked up again. He had promised Suu that he would never make her worry that he would return to his brothers. But he still worried for his brothers and the progress of the war. He only ever heard the Seppie side of things, he longed for news of his brothers.  
"So tell me, which unit did you serve with?" Cut asked, chewing thoughtful on a fungi from the stew. "Looking at you, I'm guessing you're fresh into the ranks. Minimal scarring to show."  
"You're out of practise, Cut." Ponds chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "I was part of the First Battle for Geonosis but after that I got a one way trip to Coruscant. Spent my entire service in the Corrie Guard as a Commander."

"I've got to say, Cut, for being a brother that was one terrible guess," K'uur grinned with a teasing tone to his voice. It was nice to be in the company of another brother again. Somehow it dulled some of the aching feel of loss he sometimes felt for those he'd left behind. Never would he go back. His life was here, with Ponds. But he certainly wouldn't have minded having Hound right around the corner with Grizzer.   
"Me too served in the Coruscant Guard, as an ARF trooper. You could say I did sneaking for a living. When the massiff program was brought into service, most of my squad brothers became massiff handlers. I was deemed to soft for that work, but I knew my brother by choice's massiff Grizzer as if he were my own. Being as stubborn as I am, I sometimes offered to walk Grizzer whenever Hound couldn't. Bad mistake. Even though having the most controlling harness on, I still couldn't get a hold on that little monster,"  
K'uur couldn't stop the wave of laughter that bubbled up inside of him as he thought of one accident in particular. Wrapping an arm around Ponds' waist, he looked up at his love with a spark of mischief in his eyes. I'm going to tell him, and you can't stop me.  
"As a matter of fact," K'uur begun, having to clear his throat to speak properly. It was so hard not to laugh about it afterwards. "As a matter of fact, it was my fault that Grizzer head butted Commander Thorn in the crotch the same day as we left. Or at least it was me who were dragged along at the end of the leash. But in my defence, the good commander had earlier that day threatened to..." K'uur had to interrupt his story to let out a giggle. It was all so ridiculous.   
"To make a mat out of Grizzer and hand it over to Senator Amidala. I suppose Grizzer didn't take kindly to being called a mat."

Listening to the story K'uur told, Cut couldn't help but laugh along with him. He had sorely missed the antics of his brothers, the trouble his squad had caused and all the dreams his brothers shared. Having seen massiffs around some of the farms, Cut could understand why the Corrie Guard had taken to using them. Cut had considered getting one to guard their farm but Suu had been worried about the safety of the children so he hadn't gone through with the plan.  
"Been a long time since I was around my brothers, K'uur. I fled during the First Battle of Geonosis after my transport was shot down." Cut sighed, reality slapping him hard. "It still haunts me every day."  
"I'm sorry, vod." Ponds uttered, finishing his meal and putting the bowl under his chair for now.  
"I've learned to live with it." Cut shrugged, turning his attention back to K'uur. "The kids are going to love you. They love a good story."

Smiling warmly at Cut, K'uur had to fight back a loud squeal of delight. It was no secret that he loved children. Squeezing his arm a little around his love, K'uur looked back at Ponds to give him an affectionate look. All of his self control had to be used to stop him from reaching up and steal a kiss from his love. Ponds looked so happy and relaxed right now, something that had been oh so rare when they had still been in the GAR. It made him look beautiful, younger, as if all of his horrible experiences weren't weighing down on him. So K'uur let his arm and eyes speak for him. A squeeze. You look beautiful. A deep look in his eyes. I love you.   
Turning his attention back to Cut, K'uur felt how he shone with the same intensity as a star, just like he had earlier down at the marketplace.  
"That delights me to hear, Cut. I'm barely more than a child myself, so I don't think we'll have any trouble getting along. I very much look forward to meeting them. If it's not too much trouble...could you maybe tell me...us, a little about them?"  
K'uur knew he were babbling. That couldn't be helped. He felt strangely at home here, and the feeling of home made him feel secure. And that usually led to his endless babbling...

Content to take a back seat for a while, Ponds returned the loving look K'uur gave him and leant in to kiss his forehead. An innocent gesture between brothers, surely it wouldn't push the boundaries too far. Any brother would know it as a sign of support and sibling love, the closest thing they could get to the support of a parent when times were tough.  
"Shaeeah and Jek, two little bundles of energy. Shaeeah want to know everything, especially things that her mother and I have told her she's too young to know. I won't have her innocence corrupted like ours was. Jek, he's a quiet sort but his imagination is beyond belief sometimes. He had an invisible friend for a while but I haven't heard him talking about Roxy in a while." Cut smiled, setting his bowl on the table beside his cot and leaning back. "Just try not to mention the war around them, they don't know what's going on in the wider galaxy."

K'uur laughed a little in delight as he heard that description of the girl, Shaeeah. Being a curious little thing himself, he certainly hoped that they could have a friendship together. In that moment, K'uur decided that he'd teach her all the tricks he knew about spying. Only in an innocent way, of course, so that she perhaps could sneak up on her brother a little easily. K'uur had very much appreciated having that advantage over his brothers.   
"Well, I think Shaeeah will have to fight for the title of the most curious soul in the house from now on. If you don't believe me, Ponds here can verify that I'm a sneaky little chakaar making all kinds of mischief, and that I'm too curious for my own good, right, cyar'ika?"  
Nodding his understanding at Cut not wanting his children to hear of the horrid war they had fought, K'uur reached out to absently pat his brother on his good leg.  
"Of course, Cut. I don't want to talk about it either...so you don't have to worry about that."  
There was however something that had been tugging at K'uur's mind ever since he'd heard about the children. Damn his curiosity. He'd probably get kicked out of the house for this, but he had to ask...  
"Vod...pardon my damned curiosity, but I have to ask. From what I've gathered, your children are pretty grown...am I right? I was just wondering...are they yours...as in really your children? Because the first battle of Geonosis were barely two years ago and not even we grew that fast...I'm sorry..." he apologized, biting his lower lip and looking down with a blush. He knew nothing. That was why he ended up in these awkward situations... K'uur really hoped Cut wouldn't get offended by his idiotic question...

Stunned by what his lover had just said, Ponds pinched the bridge of his nose and resisted the urge to groan. Of all the things to out and ask, K'uur just had to broach the subject of paternity. They were still in a delicate position here, the last thing they needed was to offend Cut in any way.  
"One of these days, your infamous curiosity is going to get you in more trouble than you can handle, love." Ponds sighed, shaking his head slowly. "It's up to you if you answer him vod, but he won't be satisfied until he gets an answer."

Realising now that life wasn't going to be simple with K'uur and Ponds around, Cut wasn't quite sure if that was a good or bad thing. He had a feeling that it was going to be damned hard to keep Shaeeah from pestering K'uur until he spilled the story on a subject Cut didn't want her to know.  
"I can see I'm going to have to watch my step around you, K'uur. But no, they're not mine biologically. Suu lost her first husband to the Techno Union, the kids don't remember him. We're trying for a third but no luck so far." Cut replied, reaching out to K'uur. "Just be careful around Shaeeah. If she smells a weakness, she will hound you until you reveal all you know on a subject."


	8. Chapter 8

K'uur flushed a deep scarlet. He hadn't meant to offend anyone, but he knew that some of his questions could be taken that way.  
"I'm sorry, okay? N'eparavu takisit . I'll shut up from now on, I promise..."  
Oh fek, had he managed to make a total di'kut out of himself this time... It was really embarrassing. He shot Ponds a pleading look. I'm sorry, love. Please don't be mad at me.  
If Cut were mad at him...then it would be his fault alone if they got kicked out. Feeling the urge to explain himself, K'uur gave Cut the same pleading look as he'd given Ponds.  
"I'm so sorry...I have no breaks, no limit. I didn't want to offend you in any way...it's just...this is all so new to me. No regulations to keep me in line. I don't know what to say, how to act...being a civilian does not come easily to me...at times..."

Wrapping his arms around K'uur, Ponds just held his beloved and stroked his hair. It wasn't K'uur's fault that he was curious, it was an admirable trait but sometimes K'uur needed to engage his brain to mouth filter and think.  
"It's okay cyar'ika, it's okay. We all have our moments, no one is angry at you. This is all so new to us, we're going to make mistakes." Ponds soothed, glancing towards Cut for confirmation.  
"K'uur, breathe. Slow down and breathe a moment." Cut added, shifting on his cot and reaching out to squeeze K'uur's knee lightly. "Believe me, I made a total shebs of myself during my first few weeks as a civilian."

Oh, and now he were making just a bigger one of himself for breaking down like this. It was all so much...and he was tired. Really tired. At times like this he wondered if he had a brain malfunction removing that filter that most adults had. But then he suspected that such a big thing wouldn't have gone unnoticed from the Kaminoans, but that didn't stop him from wondering.   
Burying his face in Ponds' chest, K'uur allowed himself to just melt away in his love's embrace, inhaling his scent as if it were the first time he smelled it. That was partly true, because Ponds did smell different since they had escaped. Not in a bad way, K'uur actually liked this smell more. Feeling a little braver when a hand on his knee alerted him to the fact that neither Cut were mad at him, K'uur dared to peek up from his safe heaven and flash his brother a smile.  
"I'm sorry. Two major events in my life just happened today within a time range of three hours," at that, he gave Ponds a light poke in the side, like a little reminder that he still were happy about that. "And it really sucked the living daylights out of me. I'll probably go to bed early tonight..." he added the last sentence more to himself as he laid his head to rest against his love's chest, closing his eyes in content at the sudden closeness.

"Whatever you need, my love." Ponds whispered, resting his chin in K'uur's hair. "It's been a long and exhausting few weeks."  
"I can't promise it's going to be any easier for you now but it's a different kind of hard work." Cut shrugged, settling back on his cot. "You'll be fine, once you adapt."

Nodding slowly, Ponds dragged his chair closer and adjusted the way K'uur was leaning into him. Ponds felt the tug of sleep starting on him too but that wouldn't be fair on his brother. Cut had shown such interest in getting to know them and Ponds didn't want to be rude.  
"When Rex first told me about you, I thought he'd been in the tihaar again. He can get a little wild once he gets on that stuff. But I'm grateful it wasn't some alcohol infused fantasy. I don't know what we would have done if we didn't have this option."  
"You would have figured something out. I didn't have a safety net when I broke free but look what I ended up with. I've got a beautiful wife and two incredible kids." Cut grinned, adjusting the pillow at his back.

"I need you." he mumbled against his chest, only loud enough so that Ponds would catch it. It wasn't the same kind of wild flirting that he'd indulged himself in when they had been in the Guard, but rather a sweet, somewhat more mature invitation. I'll take whatever you want to give me. K'uur realized that falling asleep on their host probably would be the final straw, so he forced his eyes to stay open, turning his attention back to Cut.   
"I like it out here. Beats Coruscant by far, that's for sure. Sure, there'll be hard work, but it's not like that's something new. Fek, I'd be happy if I only had a rock to stay on, as long as it meant I were free," Oh fek, he were babbling again. At least it weren't offending babble. Two feelings were at conflict with each other in this moment. There was this dulling tiredness that told him to just lay down and sleep. Then there were this itching feeling of pent up energy that just made him want to run around like crazy, maybe perform some acrobatics? That wasn't necessary, but would be fun.  
"But then freedom wouldn't be worth a thing if I didn't have you to share it with, cyar'ika." K'uur said with a grin, squirming a little on Ponds' lap so that he could sit more comfortable. He knew that he were acting like a big baby, but by now he were way beyond caring.

Fully aware that Cut was watching them with a smile on his face, Ponds held his lover close and smiled softly as K'uur snuggled into his embrace. K'uur really was too cute for his own good, giving Ponds plenty of chances to fall in love with him again and again.  
"It's so nice to see greenery around us. After so long on Coruscant, I'd forgotten that there was more to the galaxy than cold grey durasteel." Ponds nodded, tucking K'uur's head under his chin again. "I'm looking forward to learning how to tend to a farm."  
"The hours are long and the work is hard. The eeopies help but it's still a lot of manual labour." Cut warned, shifting again. "You'll soon learn, these aren't skill you learn overnight."

"Cut, really. Haven't we all been working hard all our life? Nothing in this life we get for free, yet here we are. Besides, I like hard work and animals." K'uur said with a smile. By now he felt like he and Ponds really had made a fine mess of their limbs, tangled together in a tight embrace. It felt so good to be in the arms of his man, it always did. If falling in love over and over again was something common, well, then K'uur suspected that he were the reigning master. And he really liked animals. Okay, eopies could be a little too big and smelly for his taste, but nunas, on the other hand, were sweetness incarnated. And if they one day could have a massiff pup...well, K'uur would welcome it with open arms. As long as it weren't as crazy as Grizzer. Bacta tanks weren't as common out here as in their HQ on Coruscant.  
Oh fek, another question to ask. Not offending, but he had promised to shut up...  
"Say, do you farmers have massiffs to guard your home around here?" he asked, trying to make this question that meant a lot to him sound innocent. K'uur swayed a little on Ponds' lap, almost a comical attempt to play it cool.

"Some farmers have massiffs but Suu was worried about one around the kids. But now that they're a little older, she might be more comfortable about having one." Cut shrugged, scratching at his hair for a moment. "But I can't say for sure if she'll agree, she's intensely protective of the kids."

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, Ponds was really starting to wonder just how much stranger this could possibly get. So much for keeping things on the down low for now, K'uur had decided he wanted cuddles so cuddles he got.  
"You want a proper wedding, you want a wedding dress, you dream of kids of our own and now you want to add a massiff to our family? I should have known life was going to be complicated with you, cyar'ika." Ponds sighed, gaze snapping to Cut when he snuffed a laugh.  
"A wedding with one of you in a dress? Now that I would pay to see." Cut chuckled, shaking his head in wonder. "Kids might be achievable, if you're willing to prove you're capable parents."

Huffing a little, K'uur turned to give Ponds a mock glare.   
"Well, so what? I haven't heard you complaining so far. And you said I could have a wedding dress so I'm going to fekking have one...and you said you liked the idea of children too!"   
K'uur couldn't stop himself from laughing. His strange ways really had broken loose now, that was for sure. With one particularly loud giggle he wondered what Cut thought of this madness. Sobering a little, K'uur turned his attention back to Cut, having a dreaming expression on his face, as always when he thought of the future.  
"I've always played with the thought of having a child," he said, letting his gaze wander around the room as he bared some of his deepest secrets for them to see. "I never thought it possible while still being in the GAR, and while it's still an abstract thought...it's not impossible anymore. I don't know why, but I love the thought of having someone more to care for. The whole concept of family, of belonging...somehow it's no longer something I only thought existed in the holomovies. I mean, soon I'll have a husband, so why not?"  
Settling back against Ponds' chest, K'uur felt a tad anxious to hear of his love and brother's reaction. It had always felt so natural for him to be honest, but it could phase someone not used to it.

"Hey now, I'm not complaining about anything. I think you will look lovely in your wedding dress and the idea of family thrills me, cyar'ika. But right now, if I don't laugh I may well cry. This has all been a huge emotional thrill ride and I'm ready to settle so the running can stop." Ponds sighed, squeezing his lover close for a moment. "I never realised deserting would be so stressful."  
"Sadly that's one thing that never gets any easier. I still keep looking over my shoulder when I'm out in the city. Never can tell when someone might notice you." Cut offered, shaking his head slowly. "Best anyone can do is try not to let it hurt too much."  
"Somehow that's not very comforting Cut." Ponds remarked, trying for a grin but he knew he missed. "Now what was that about proving we're capable parents?"  
"With the hardships the Techno Union forces on us, a lot of the worst affected families are giving up their children to families that can better meet their needs. But first prospective parents must prove they have a stable home that can provide for the needs of a child." Cut explained, a deep sadness in his gaze. "We considered it but we barely make enough to survive as it is."

Smiling a little, K'uur considered what Cut had just said. It always were like that for him. When something seemed impossible, K'uur made his best to come up with reasons for why it wasn't. It was something that would take time to achieve, they didn't even have a home of their own yet, but well, had he been a Jedi, he would've said something about believing in destiny. Because he believed they could make this, given time.  
"Given time, I think nothing is impossible. It's not a decision made overnight, even I with my strange ways realize that. But it's something worth fighting for, I think we all can agree on that."  
Looking around the room, K'uur suddenly realized that he hadn't sung something in a while. That was sad, because he missed it. It had always been his way of expressing his joy, but he hadn't been in need of that these past few weeks. Happiness wasn't something he lacked anyway. Titling his head upwards to look at Ponds, K'uur laughed a little as he instead were met by a chin looking huge from his point of view. Fek, where had he come to if he laughed at chins now?  
"I'm glad, cyar'ika, because it'll be pretty." he smiled up at him, finding it more funny from his upside down tilted view of his lover.

Over the next few months, life at the Lawquane homestead settled into a new pattern. Cut spread word that Ponds was his brother and K'uur a friend he had met during his time serving in the army. No one really questioned his words, everyone in the town and on the surrounding farms knew that Cut was no liar. Cut didn't like having to spread the false stories but he was determined to protect his brothers from danger.

Ponds and K'uur settled into life on the farm with little trouble, learning from Suu and Cut about tending the fields and caring for the animals. K'uur took to the household chores with a certain affinity, spending many hours in the kitchen with Suu learning to cook all manner of wonderful treats. K'uur also turned out to be incredible with the kids and was soon their favourite storyteller and he would spend his free time helping them with their studies or just drawing random things when there was quiet time.

Ponds preferred the outside life, working beside Cut in the fields and learning how to butcher so their family didn't starve. He felt a certain pride in bringing home fresh food for their house and witnessing the wondrous meals K'uur could make from such simple ingredients. He learned to pick the best eeopies at the annual sales and how to track bloodlines to keep their breeding stock free of problems.


	9. Chapter 9

Three months after their arrival, the announcement was put out regarding the upcoming wedding and the preparations flew into high gear to ensure everything was perfect. Ponds still regretted that he hadn't been able to give K'uur the wedding within a month but Cut had warned them about doing anything to attract attention so soon after their escape.

Had he known that getting married meant all kinds of preparations, well, then K'uur would never have agreed to it. That wasn't entirely true, because nothing in the galaxy could keep him from it. But had it been up to him...well, a few things less to do would've been appreciated.   
At least he felt comfortable with the dress he'd picked. True to his word, K'uur hadn't chosen a white one, but one in a deep green colour. Its fabric were soft and flowed around his body in a beautiful way as he walked. Although being of a simple design, small details such as the arms reaching down to his elbows, the marked waist and its fitting form around his upper body made the dress something so much more than something simple. Cheeky as he were, he hadn't shown it to Ponds yet. Under a lot of uncontrollable giggle he'd asked Suu to hide it for him until the time came. K'uur wanted it to be a surprise, hopefully a happy one.

For the time being, he were preparing some of the food that were to be enjoyed later. Despite Suu having insisted that he shouldn't be cooking his own wedding dinner, K'uur had waved away her protests with a smile, saying that he were perfectly content with cooking. Now, however, he kind of wished he hadn't been so insistent. The food simply wouldn't agree with him today. Feeling the beginnings of stress and nerves, feelings he'd been determined to push away, K'uur frustrated rammed his knife through an unfortunate vegetable, precise enough not to cut himself, but powerful enough to give him some satisfaction. Groaning a little while trying to resisting the urge to slam his head against the wall, K'uur decided to leave the dish for a while. Nothing good would come out of mangled vegetables anyway.  
Sighing a little as he sat down at the dining table, K'uur looked out over the fields with a longing expression on his face. Maybe some hard work would've done well with keeping his nervousness at bay...

Trying hard not to think about what was coming with the cooling dusk glow, Ponds helped Cut assemble the big trestle tables they had pulled out of the barn for the wedding feast. Ponds was just grateful that their guests would also be bringing food, lessening the burden on Suu and K'uur. Apparently it was tradition on Saleucami, the guests sharing in the work as they shared in the joy of the union. Surprisingly for Ponds, no one objected to the fact they were both men but Cut had explained that any excuse for a party was welcomed with open arms.

Still curious about what K'uur had decided to wear for their wedding, Ponds was just grateful Cut still had his formal wear from when he'd married Suu. The shirt and jacket had needed a little tailoring to fit properly but otherwise, it was a perfect outfit for such a special occasion. Though he had not appreciated the waiting, Ponds did appreciate the chance to finally leave behind the man he was and embrace his future willingly. No one that had known him would recognise him now, with his long hair held back by a bandana until it was long enough to tie up properly and his skin a stunning deep tan from the outdoors work. 

K'uur decided to haran with it. Who cared about whether they had yet another dish on the table, although said dish happened to be one of his specialties? Veggies wouldn't make any difference today. Maybe he'd pick up where he'd left later, but for now he couldn't get anything done properly. Determinedly K'uur got up from the table to go in search of his clothes. Although it was probably too early to dress up, K'uur decided that it was the only thing that could possibly settle his nerves.

Smiling triumphantly with dress in hand, K'uur locked himself up in the fresher to change. Shedding his clothes and stepping underneath the hot beam of the shower, K'uur thought about how lucky he were. What did he know, had they stayed in the Guard, they both could've been dead, forgotten, by now. But now they were about to get married. That night a few months ago where K'uur had brought it up seemed like a millennia ago, so far away. And now they were to be bound together forever. K'uur truly were the luckiest man in the galaxy.   
Having finished his shower, K'uur took a moment just to regard himself in the mirror hanging on the wall. It was nice to notice that he barely had changed during these past few months. His face still looked asymmetric, his left side looking more alert than the right. The right side were however lit up by the f-clef tattoo, that seemingly had faded a little. While most of his brother's hair were straight, his still fell in curly, raven waves over his shoulders, having grown longer with no regulations telling him to cut them. He felt beautiful for the first time in his life, K'uur realized as he slipped the dress over his head, watching in content how the skirt seemingly flowed around his legs. He were ready for a new life, a better one.

Satisfied that everything was perfect outside, Ponds left the final preparations to Cut and headed inside to clean up and get dressed. Making absolutely sure not to peek into the kitchen and risk seeing K'uur in case he'd already gotten dressed, Ponds headed upstairs and grabbed the suit bag he had kept hanging up in their room. Also grabbing the special bundle Suu had given him, Ponds headed for the fresher to wash and change in readiness for the evening event.

Showering quickly and vigorously drying off his hair, Ponds donned the crisply pressed black pants and embroidered white shirt. The embroidery was very masculine, weaving vines and small deep blue flowers around the collar and cuffs. Brushing out his hair and making sure it was dry, Ponds unwrapped the new bandana Suu had made for him. Made out of deep green shimmer silk, it had been embroidered with their names across his forehead and was just long enough to tie under his unruly hair.

Shouldering into the black jacket and straightening it out, he brushed the glistening ring on his finger and smiled proudly as he imagined what the ceremony might be like. They had stayed true to their wishes for a simple ceremony but the after party was certain to be huge.  
"Come on Ponds, the guests are starting to arrive. Time to get out there and face the people." Cut called, knocking on the fresher door. "Soon you'll have your special moment."  
"Alright, I'm coming." Ponds replied, making one last check of his outfit before opening the door. "I just need my boots."  
"Right here." Cut grinned, handing over the highly polished black boots. "We'll go out the back, K'uur is hiding in the kitchen for the moment."  
"I thought that's where he'd be." Ponds chuckled, pulling on his boots and heading downstairs.

"K'uur, breathe. Trust me, you don't want to remember your wedding day as the day you cut off your hand." Suu berated him as she gently but firmly pried the knife out of K'uur's clutched fist. Sighing in exasperation, K'uur sat down heavily at the floor with a loud thump. Suu crouched down beside him, giving him a pointed look.   
"You'll ruin your dress if you stay down there."  
"I'll probably ruin everything anyway," K'uur groaned, burying his face in his hands. So far, pushing his nervousness away had been the worst decision so far. Sighing again, he looked up at his newfound friend with raising panic.   
"Count on me to screw it all up. I'll trip over a chair, I'll ask a guest something rude, I- I.."  
Placing a calming hand onto his shoulder, Suu had that expression on her face that she usually had when Jek didn't do his homework. A big lecture was to come, in other words.  
"You're here to get married to the love of your life, aren't you?" she said firmly, pulling K'uur up with her as she spoke. At first K'uur tried to find some spot in the room to stare at, but soon he found that he had to look at Suu as she spoke.  
"Yes...I think that's the point of it?" he replied, squirming a little under her stern gaze while playing a little with his skirt.  
"Then that is exactly what you're going to do! Ponds wouldn't care if you so spilled juice onto Padme Amidala's dress today, because today it's only the two of you that matters. Don't think about everyone else's opinion, because they are unimportant."   
Suu pulled him in for a hug as she spoke, and it was with a lot of relief that K'uur returned the friendly gesture. Never could he have guessed that a pep talk could make wonders.  
"Now go out and be with your love while I finish up in here," Suu smiled as she backed away, heading back to the stove. Giving her his most grateful smile, K'uur turned around quickly to head out of the house before he could change his mind. Because this day were sure to be remembered if they had to coax him out of the fresher right before the ceremony...  
Taking a deep breath to steel himself, K'uur opened up the door and stepped out onto the porch. The weather was perfect so far, neither too cold or hot nor rainy. Taking the few tentative steps down the stairs, K'uur took a look around the yard to see if he could find Ponds. So far he hadn't spotted him, but he'd a feeling that that was about to change soon.

Acting the part of a diligent host and a happy groom, Ponds did the rounds of their guests with Cut, shaking hands and engaging in idle small talk. He was still learning how to engage in open conversation with people but no one seemed to notice if he fumbled. Hopefully they put it down to pre-wedding nerves and not a lack of basic skills. Everything was in place, he was just waiting for K'uur to emerge so they could make this official.

Apologizing to an elderly Gran couple when Cut tapped him on the shoulder, Ponds turned and his breath caught as he saw K'uur for the first time. He looked stunning in his dress and now Ponds understood why Suu had been so adamant he wear the green bandana for this.  
"Go get Suu, we're doing this right now. I'm not going to wait another minute to make this happen." Ponds instructed, starting to move through the crowd slowly. "He's waited long enough for his special day."

Breaking out of the gathering, Ponds offered out one hand to his beloved mate, a loving smile on his face. This was their moment and the crowd of friends and locals all seemed to realise something was happening. The burble of voices started to fade away and dozens of eyes turned towards them.  
"Cyar'ika, never have I loved someone as I love you. Today is a precious day for us and I look forward to many more of them. So I ask you, in front of all these witnesses, do you have any last doubts before we make our vows?" Ponds declared, hopeful that K'uur understood what he was asking.

Catching sight of Ponds when his love came towards him, all worries flew out of K'uur's mind, his face breaking out in a loving, happy smile. Much to his surprise he noted that the bandana Ponds wore matched the colour of his dress. Suu's doing, it couldn't be anything else. Filled with nervous anticipation, K'uur took the hand offered, clutching it like he never would let go. Which was true, he realized.  
"Ponds, never had I thought that love was meant for me until you crashed into my world," K'uur uttered, nervously giving his love a wink, hoping he would catch the running joke between them. "With you in my life, there's no such thing as regret. I'd follow you to the end of the galaxy if you asked me to."  
K'uur looked deeply into Ponds' eyes. His husband-to-be looked so handsome today, with his dark clothing making a beautiful contrast to his tanned skin. If it was possible, K'uur smiled even wider. Soon he'd start bawling like a child, he knew it. Never had he loved Ponds more than he did in this moment. The crowd faded out around them, and all that existed were the two of them.

Lighting up bright as the sun, Ponds guided K'uur through the crowd and up onto the small platform placed under the beautiful shady tree Cut and Suu had planted on their wedding day. Turning to face his love again, Ponds entwined their fingers and squeezed gently. He still couldn't believe how beautiful K'uur looked in his dress, showing the galaxy that he was a free spirit and no one could force him to obey their rules.  
"K'uur, light of my life, I stand here today and proudly declare you as my loving husband. You are the only one I could want in my life." Ponds announced, such love in his eyes. "Mhi solus tome. Mhi solus dar'tome. Mhi me'dinui an. Mhi ba'juri verde."

Something clicked in Ponds' head as he pronounced the old mando'a vows, feeling his heart soar as he spoke with all the love in his heart and the sincerity of his mind. But knowing that so many people here weren't fluent in mando'a, Ponds also proudly announced the basic translation.  
"We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."

Feeling the tears of happiness swell in his eyes, K'uur squeezed back with firmness, to remind himself of his incredible luck. His long-time dream were coming true right before his eyes, and suddenly the old mando'a wedding vow became the most wonderful phrase he'd ever known. Never had their love of each other been in doubt, but now they were originally bound together for all time to come. It was only a matter of repeating the words Ponds just had uttered.   
"I love you, Ponds, never doubt my words," he whispered, not being able to speak any louder in that moment. Taking a deep breath, the next words K'uur spoke came from the bottom of his heart, speaking loudly and clearly with more love and adoration than he'd ever had before.

"Mhi solus tome. Mhi solus dar'tome. Mhi me'dinui an. Mhi ba'juri verde."

And that was it. After so much joy and pain that they'd experienced together, they were finally married. Ponds were his, and K'uur were Ponds'. Blinking away the tears in his eyes, K'uur stepped forward and did what he'd been waiting for since as long as he could remember. He gave Ponds their first kiss as husband and husband.

Fairly sure his heart would stop with the sheer emotions of this moment, Ponds held his beloved husband to his chest and kissed him properly. He could vaguely hear the crowd cheering for them but the only thing he cared about was this perfect moment with K'uur.  
"my husband, my most precious love." Ponds uttered, breaking the kiss reluctantly. "There will be time for so much more than a kiss later. The night is young and you are so beautiful to me."

Drawing K'uur down off the podium, Ponds couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he hugged Suu and Cut in turn. He would never dared to dream if not for these two and their wonderful family. His dreams were finally coming true and now he understood what civilian life was all about.

Practically glowing with all the love he felt, K'uur reached a hand up to caress Ponds' face. Everything about his husband seemed new tonight. This was where their new life truly begun.  
"There better be, my love, because I forgot to book the tickets for our honeymoon." he said with a bright laugh, already looking forward to the "adultier" part of the evening. Now, however, he had a party to attend. Namely their party.

As Ponds were busy hugging Suu and Cut, K'uur looked around for the younger generation of the Lawquanes. Spotting Jek and Shaeeah a little further away in the crowd, K'uur waved for them with ridiculously big movements. He'd not expected to get double tackled by the sibling pair, yet it was under a lot of happy laughter that the three of them hugged the living daylights out of each other. K'uur grinned up at Ponds as the children finally released him. Regarding his husband a little closer, K'uur felt the sudden urge to compliment the new bandana.  
"Your new headgear is looking most handsome on you, my dearest husband." K'uur said with a seductive smile that only were reserved for Ponds. He fully intended to keep his promise about not being too bold around the children, but he were still going to have some fun until it were only the two of them alone.

A little nervous about just what K'uur had up his sleeve for later, Ponds accepted a drink from Cut and laughed as K'uur was tackled by the youngsters and held tight. One day they would have children of their own, Ponds was adamant about that much. Family is more than blood and that's exactly what Ponds was aiming for.  
"See, now didn't I tell you this was going to be a short wedding, Shaeeah?" Ponds grinned, crouching down to hug her. "Now we can have some fun and relax."

Sipping his mug and welcoming K'uur back in against his side as he stood, Ponds returned the seductive smile with one of his own and pulled K'uur in close to him. It was so hard to resist the temptation to kiss the life out of his beloved right now but the kids were still too close to risk it.  
"You look stunning in green, I'll have to see if I can find you something more suitable for daily wear." Ponds replied, brushing a loose strand back behind K'uur's ear. "I love you, cyar'ika."

"Thank you, I was about to say the same," K'uur replied, snuggling a little closer to Ponds. "But I don't think green clothes are what's really on your mind, cyar'ika." At that he gave Ponds a quick wink. It felt good to have the really nervous part behind them, just having a couple of hours to relax and enjoy now. Accepting a drink of his own from Cut, K'uur held up the mug in front of Ponds', flashing him a stunning smile as he did so.  
"And I love you, my heart. For our everlasting love." he said, raising his mug a little higher before taking a sip of it. Not for a single moment did he break eye contact with Ponds, not that he could look away from his love, of course. Never did he want to look at someone else.   
"Well, never did I suspect that it all would come down to this that one day we met," K'uur laid his head to rest against Ponds' shoulder, inhaling his scent in deep breaths as he did so.   
"Did you know back then, cyar'ika?" he leaned up to whisper in his husband's ear. "Did you know that it would be you and me forever that one day?"

"Did I know? No, I never expected this would be my life, K'uur. I dreamed that I would find the love of my life and find peace with them but I never thought beyond the Guard. This life is better than any dream I ever had, cyar'ika." Ponds smiled, leaning in to steal another sweet kiss. "I'm home now, all because of your love."

Home, such a strange concept even though it had a natural meaning within the GAR. Home was wherever they settled for the night. But now Ponds understood that home was more than that. Home represented everything that was right and good in his life, from the loving arms of his husband to the precious feeling of finally having a real family.  
"But I am grateful that I have your love, cyar'ika. I can dare to dream because of you." Ponds smiled, raising his mug in a toast. "To our eternal love."

"As am I to have yours, Ponds. We wouldn't be here without it." K'uur replied as he rose his mug once more. Having a family, a husband to love and cherish, it was the most wonderful feeling he'd ever known. Everyone around them smiled and were happy, offering them their congratulations on their wedding. Granted it made him feel just as overwhelmed as that day on the marketplace, but this time he could enjoy it more since he'd known what to expect. True to his promise K'uur didn't let go of Ponds, either keeping an arm around his husband's waist or holding his hand. Trying out his new task of being a good host, K'uur looked up at Ponds again as it became the time for something all clones knew all too well: dinner.  
"So what do you say, love? Should we let everyone loose on the food? Not that anything I cooked will be eatable tonight, but everything else is fantastic." K'uur said, flashing his love a wide grin. He weren't that proud of what he'd accomplished earlier, but he knew that he'd gotten really hungry from the effort.

Smiling fondly at his precious mate, Ponds guided him over to one of the groaning tables and set a plate in his hands. Grabbing his own plate, Ponds scanned the arrangement in front of them before diving in to try some of the dishes he'd never tried before.  
"The guests are all waiting for us, cyar'ika. I'm sure your efforts will be greatly appreciated, whatever you had a hand in making. Relax and eat something, you must be starving." Ponds coaxed, his smile growing as Shaeeah and Jek came over to join them. "Your plates are there on the corner, come and get something to eat. You've been so patient."

Smiling brightly at the children digging in to their food with great enthusiasm, K'uur decided to forget about everyone else for a while and do just the same. He were starving, after all. Small humming noises of content came from him when he took a bite from the food on his plate. Apparently his cooking hadn't been as bad as he'd feared after Suu had gone in and saved it. Everything about the dinner would've been perfect if it weren't for his hair. It seemed to live a life of his own nowadays, getting in the way and falling down in his face time and time again. Sighing, K'uur was about to bind his hair up in a ponytail when he realized he had no ribbon. Then an idea hit him. K'uur turned his back to Ponds with a cheeky grin.  
"Can you do my hair for me, cyar'ika? I forgot to do it earlier, and now I have no ribbon."

Setting his meal aside, Ponds reached back and tugged away the soft white ribbon that tried to hold back his hair. With his bandana on, Ponds didn't really need the ribbon to keep his hair under control.  
"What would you do without me, cyar'ika?" Ponds teased, running his fingers through K'uur's hair and drawing it back into a neat tail. "There you go, as handsome as ever."

Settling back on the bench beside his lover, Ponds went back to his meal and watched the crowd sharing in the feast. Everyone was talking and happy, praising the incredible food on offer and swapping recipes with great joy. He could also hear an elderly twi'lek couple wondering if this union was truly legal. Apparently they had never heard of such a simple marriage before. Ponds didn't really worry about their concerns, Cut had already gone over to discuss the issue.  
"You truly have a gift for cooking, my dearest. This is delightful and I know it's yours." Ponds praised, leaning over to kiss his cheek lightly.

K'uur sighed in content at the feeling of Ponds running his hands through his hair. When they'd still been in the GAR he'd always relished those few stolen moments of tenderness, their rank gap preventing them from doing more. Now they no longer had to hide anything, and what had only been hastily shown signs of affection were now here to stay.   
"Without you? Have boring hair," K'uur teased back, his cheeky grin only widening. Not only his hair had grown longer, but Ponds' as well. K'uur would be damned if he didn't admit to himself that he wanted to do so much more than just run his fingers through his husband's hair tonight. More like letting his hands tangle in it.

Blushing a little at the praise he received, K'uur shyly looked down at Ponds' plate. Not until now did he notice just how terrible it looked. How could he even serve such vegetables, or what was left of them...  
"You're just saying that to make me happy, because that can't be nice," K'uur said, giving his husband a meaning look. Shuffling a little closer to his love on the bench, K'uur leaned up to whisper his next thoughts to Ponds.  
"How much longer do we have to stay here? I feel like leaving our own party, if you get what I mean." he whispered, giving Ponds a naughty, suggestive wink. It wasn't right, and he knew that, but he'd explode if he didn't get to have his new husband soon.

Scraping his plate clean so he could enjoy every last scrap of food, Ponds set the dirty plate beside him and wrapped his arm around K'uur's waist happily.  
"No love, I mean it. Doesn't matter how it looks, it's the flavours that are really important. Look, the bowls and platters that belong to Suu are scraped clean while everyone else has bits left. That's got to mean something." Ponds insisted, his hunger satisfied and yet he still wanted something more to savour. "Finish eating and we'll make our excuses. Some of the people are already looking like they might want to leave soon. Unless of course, you want desert."

So far the desert table had gone untouched, so many sweet and tempting treats arranged for the delight of the guests but Ponds didn't really want any of it. He just wanted to get K'uur alone and enjoy their first night together as a married couple. He just hoped it wasn't considered rude if they left without sampling from the desert table. But he had a feeling that Suu and Cut would ensure they didn't miss out on the offered delights.

"I'm already finished," K'uur chuckled, setting his dirty plate down. The thought of desert would normally have made him run to stand first in line, but tonight it hardly tempted him. Surely Cut and Suu would save him some cake...it was their wedding dinner after all. Now, however, he had something different in mind. K'uur snuggled in even closer to Ponds, smiling at him like he had a big secret that he wouldn't tell.  
"All cakes in the galaxy be damned, I've waited to get my sweets all day long," he whispered, getting up from the bench as he spoke. He reached his hands out to tug at his husband to come along. He'd waited long enough for this, surely no one would bother the pair tonight.

Allowing K'uur to drag him around behind the barn to their little cottage, Ponds stopped him just outside the door and swept his beloved into his arms. Cut had told him about his attempt to carry Suu over the threshold and his trip on the stairs so Ponds was especially careful as he climbed the stairs and opened the door.  
"Welcome home, cyar'ika." Ponds smiled, entering their new home for the first time. It still needed a little more work to be totally finished but it was close enough to be comfortable.


	10. Chapter 10

Heading straight for their bedroom, Ponds toed the door closed behind them and gently placed K'uur on the soft quilt and sat beside him, loving fingers tracing over his arm softly. It felt like a disrespect to rush tonight, this was their first night as a married couple and Ponds wanted it to be special.

K'uur made a small yelping sound of surprise as Ponds swept him off his feet, but the sound were immediately replaced with delightful laughter when his husband carried him over the threshold, just like expected of a newly wedded husband.   
"Ponds, you're such a gentleman!" K'uur chuckled, enjoying the feeling of those strong arms around him that promised to never let go.

K'uur's smile only brightened as he looked around in their home. It was truly beautiful, but in a very cosy manner. The relatively small spaces gave him a feeling of true belonging, this was where he were going to spend the rest of his life, together with the love of his life, at that.   
His smile softened as Ponds settled him down, and suddenly there were just the two of them alone. K'uur felt strangely shy in that moment, almost like he'd felt the first time they'd been together like this. One thing was for sure, he wanted to savour this first night as a married couple like he had that first time he'd made love.   
One of his hands trailed up his arm until it had reached his husband's cheek. Softly he caressed it, leaning in closer to his lips until their lips finally met in a sweet, lingering kiss.

Determined that nothing would ruin this perfect night, Ponds gently embraced his precious husband and found the zipper holding the dress so snug to his body. Easing the zipper down as he kissed his beloved, Ponds tried not to disturb the fabric too much. He wanted this to be special and rushing K'uur into nudity was certainly unromantic. Bracing one hand on the bed, Ponds eased K'uur back into the soft cushion of their bedding and lightly caressed his cheek.  
"I love you, my husband. Tonight is special for us, there's no need to rush." He whispered, gazing at K'uur with all his love and devotion.

K'uur couldn't stop a gasp of appreciation as Ponds eased down the zipper of his dress. He knew that he shouldn't rush things, but he craved the feeling of their bare skin touching. Allowing himself to be eased down onto his back, K'uur gazed up at his beautiful Ponds with loving eyes. His arms reached out to wrap themselves around his frame, almost clinging to his precious love.  
"And I love you, my dearest husband, my heart, my everything," K'uur whispered back, fairly certain his voice broke from all of the emotions in it.  
"Don't ever let me go. There's nothing that can tear us apart anymore."

Sitting up, Ponds slipped off his jacket and bandana, leaning over to drape them across the chair near the bed. Reading the want in K'uur's eyes, Ponds slipped his dress down with a loving caress, revealing sun kissed skin to his hungry gaze. Tracing scars and memorizing every little detail, Ponds knew he would never be happier than he was right now. This was a perfect love, no words were needed most of the time.

Unbuttoning his shirt but not taking it off just yet, Ponds bowed his head and lapped at one peaked nipple lightly. So often they had rushed through their intimate moments, always worried about someone coming to look for them but now they had the time to really slow down and enjoy these precious moments.

K'uur moaned underneath his love's touch, his whole body quivering with anticipation. Not able to hold himself back anymore, he reached out to slide the shirt off Ponds. He hung it beside the rest of his clothes, just not as neatly as his husband had. He were too far gone already.

The sight that met him were stunning, to say in the least. Ponds had kept himself in a peak condition due to all of the hard work in the fields. His skin were a deep, beautiful tan that shone like bronze tonight. K'uur felt so incredibly happy in that moment, almost as if he couldn't believe that this beautiful man were his.   
"Come here." he whispered, gently tugging Ponds down with the hand he'd tangled in his husband's hair. It felt so soft underneath his touch, and K'uur suspected that he'd never get tired of running his hands through it. Yes, he were the luckiest man in the galaxy indeed.

Keeping his weight off K'uur, Ponds settled over him contentedly and nuzzled his neck happily. Unpicking the ribbon keeping K'uur's hair under control, Ponds curled his fingers in the silky strands and went back to kissing him senseless. Drawing away slowly, Ponds settled on his knees and started to ease the soft fabric over his skin again. Caressing every inch of bared flesh, Ponds fell in love over and over again as his lips danced along scars of every shape and size.

Forcing his pace to slow, Ponds refused to rush through his night. Taking his time to caress K'uur's stomach lightly and looked up at his precious mate, Ponds smiled softly and continued to trace idle patterns on K'uur's skin.

K'uur arched up against Ponds, returning the kiss with all of his pent up passion from earlier that day. All he could think of was his love, how much he loved him, how good it felt when he kissed his way across his scars. K'uur tried to make his hands stay tangled in Ponds' soft hair, but it was easier said than done when he felt how his whole body were shaking with want. He were certain that he looked all flushed and breathless when he smiled back down at his husband. There were no need to rush things tonight, yet his anticipation took away some of his patience, making him reach his hands further down to grab hold onto those strong shoulders, silently encouraging Ponds to do more. Part of K'uur wanted his love back up level with his face so that he could kiss all conscious thought out of his head. Then another part of him wanted to see where this were heading. Leaning back against the bedding again, K'uur wrapped a leg around his husband's waist, partly because he craved the contact, but also for the support he knew he'd need soon.

Crawling back up his love, Ponds leant down to steal another tender kiss before climbing off the bed and unbuckling his belt. Dropping his pants and kicking them onto the chair, Ponds turned his focus to K'uur and finished removing his dress. Setting that aside carefully, Ponds crawled back onto the bed and settled beside K'uur happily, drawing him close and holding him lovingly. No words, no burning need to consummate their wedding, just a desire for intimate contact. They would get to the sex later, right now Ponds was perfectly happy to hold his love and gaze into his eyes as they shared sweet kisses.

K'uur couldn't think of the last time they'd just laid down beside each other, just holding and kissing, savouring the company of the other. Maybe such a time had never existed. As much as he enjoyed simple, senseless sex, this made everything so much more intimate. Still wrapped up all around his love, K'uur reached up to give Ponds another sweet kiss, letting it linger so that he could explore some things that he normally hadn't gotten the time for. Such as the sweet, spicy taste of Ponds' mouth that had always been there, but he somehow hadn't thought of before now. Or the way their tongues curled around each other, how his love's breathing shifted in different ways. K'uur wondered in the back of his head how he'd never noticed these small things before, because how small they even might've seemed, they were everything that made Ponds unique. It was a lost case to not fall in love time and time again with this wonderful man that he called his.

Humming softly as he ran his fingers slowly over K'uur's back, Ponds snuggled closer to his love and closed his eyes. He would be perfectly content if nothing else came out of tonight, he could gladly spend hours curled up like this. Wrapped up in the slight sweet flavour of K'uur's kisses and the gentle yet strong grip on his skin, Ponds nuzzled his love happily and glided one hand down to caress K'uur's lower back.

Arousal burning low, still mostly contained and overridden by this closeness, Ponds was caught between his desire for a quiet night and a want to be held down and claimed. He knew K'uur wasn't comfortable with taking control but Ponds deeply desired such a special moment tonight of all nights.

Somehow sensing what his love wanted, K'uur's face broke into a wide, seductive grin as he pulled back a little. Pulling gently at Ponds, K'uur guided his every move until they tumbled around, roles having been reversed in the slight turmoil. Instead of being pinned down, K'uur now straddled Ponds' hips with a triumphant grin on his face. Now it was finally time to dig in to the dessert he'd been waiting for all day.

His hand reached down to grab hold of Ponds', keeping a gentle yet firm grip on it, as expected of someone in charge. Slowly, tantalizing, he brought the hand up to his mouth, humming with contentment when his lips closed around his husband's fingers. K'uur sucked and swirled his tongue around the fingers like he'd do with another chosen part of his love's anatomy, his eyes promising later. Right now he knew what he wanted, and how he'd go through with it in the way that Ponds wanted. As he slowly released the fingers one by one, K'uur shifted his hips a little in a way that'd give Ponds easier access. Bracing his arms against his husband's strong chest, K'uur gazed down at Ponds with eager anticipation.  
"You know what to do." he said with a slightly ordering tone, leaving it open for his love if he wanted to go through with this or not. Trust was something not to be violated.

Groaning with want as he was pinned to the mattress, Ponds could hardly believe the sexy beast that had just emerged. He always knew that K'uur was fun in bed but this was the first time he had been shown just how arousing K'uur could be when given free reign and no reason to be quiet. Oh kriff, if this was the opening act, Ponds wasn't sure he'd survive to the end of this. He'd never known K'uur could be so filthy just sucking on his fingers.

Moaning softly as K'uur released his hand, Ponds shifted a little and smiled up at his beloved. Caressing his hip lightly, Ponds reached back and lightly traced his fingers over K'uur's entrance. It had been a while since K'uur had allowed this and Ponds wasn't going to spoil it for his love.  
"Anything for you." Ponds whispered, rubbing gently across K'uur's rosebud.

Groaning softly while letting his eyes flutter shut in pleasure, K'uur gripped a little tighter onto his love. Ponds knew all of the moves that would make him go insane, and going too slow would do the job just fine.  
"Yes...oh please, cyar'ika, more!" he gasped out, forgetting in the heat of the moment that he had a role to play. Honestly, he didn't care. He hadn't felt Ponds inside of him for a while, he'd gladly go to extremes if it meant he would get that.

Pushing his hips backwards in an attempt to get more of that delicious finger, K'uur hissed out briefly in pain when the finger slipped inside a little more harshly than what he'd have preferred. Breathing heavily, he forced himself to calm down a little and relax. Firmly he had to remind himself that there were no need to rush things tonight.   
Looking down at Ponds again, K'uur couldn't help himself but to playfully swat his husband across the chest.   
"You see what you do to me?"

Unwilling to risk hurting his beloved, Ponds eased his finger out and grabbed K'uur's hips firmly. Rolling his shoulders and twisting over, Ponds settled him back on the soft bedding and wormed down K'uur's powerful body. Nipping at K'uur's thigh lightly, Ponds lapped away the sting and cupped K'uur's firm shebs in his hands.  
"I won't hurt you, cyar'ika." Ponds uttered, gently adjusting the way K'uur was stretched out and lowering his head.

Inhaling the familiar scent of his beloved K'uur, Ponds lapped at the exposed flesh lightly, confident that K'uur would stop him is he was going too far into unfamiliar territory. Nuzzling deeper, drowning in sensation, Ponds lightly ran his tongue along K'uur's perineum and down, tasting his love and cherishing this moment of togetherness.

K'uur made a small sound in the back of his throat at the loss of Ponds' fingers, but it was quickly replaced with the eager anticipation when Ponds eased him back down against the bedding. His hands reached down to tangle in his husband's hair when he'd settled. Not really knowing what to expect, a loud, throaty moan came from him when his love took away the pain using his tongue. His fingers tightened around each strand of hair that he held as K'uur felt how all coherent thought fled his head. All he could feel were his love licking at his most intimate parts.   
"I...I know you won't, cyar'ika..." K'uur managed to gasp out in between moans and keening noises of pleasure. This was one of those experiences that he'd never forget, just like his first time had been, and that one night where they had decided to run. K'uur loved Ponds some more for sharing these special moments of closeness with him. It was not only some one-night stand that only lasted for the moment, but it was a much bigger connection with so many emotions involved.   
Panting hard while biting his lip to keep himself from screaming his pleasure out loud, K'uur ran his hands all over the back of Ponds' head and shoulders.   
"So good...cyar'ika..." he panted, tilting his head so that he could look down at his love. "Please...don't stop..."


	11. Chapter 11

Humming in pleasure as he tried to get deeper, Ponds shifted his hands and slid K'uur's thighs onto his shoulders properly before shuffling closer. Caressing his sides and making sure he didn't accidentally cause pain, Ponds coaxed his lover to bend his back and pressed in deeper. Slipping into a submissive mind, one that had been silenced for so long, Ponds groaned softly and nuzzled into K'uur's hands without losing his rhythm.

Satisfied that K'uur was wet enough at last, Ponds lifted his head a little and looked up at K'uur with his arousal blazing in his eyes. Licking his lips and swallowing slowly, he smiled softly and nuzzled into K'uur's hand again.  
"How would you have me, cyar'ika?" Ponds asked, not quite meeting K'uur's gaze.

Not being able to hold it back anymore, K'uur let out a loud shout of pleasure as Ponds sank even deeper into him. All thoughts of pain were gone now, the only thing his brain told him of now were the heat of his love's tongue and the intense pleasure. For a while he wondered just who were submitting to who, given how both of them seemingly gave it up to the other. 

K'uur never wanted the sensations to end, but when he felt that he were really starting to lose it, Ponds pulled back from him, leaving K'uur yearning for more. Panting hard, he really had to concentrate to come up with a coherent reply to his husband.  
"On your back on the bed, cyar'ika." K'uur purred, smiling seductively down at Ponds.

Moaning low in his throat, Ponds wriggled out from under K'uur's thighs and crawled up to kneel beside his precious husband. Mind clouded with arousal and this long unseen submissive nature, Ponds dropped to his side and rolled over, erection twitching with each thump of his heart. He didn't want to think but his mind kept giving him wildly arousing images of being pinned down under K'uur's strength and taken hard. Tonight he would do whatever his love asked of him, no matter what was said. He wanted to feel K'uur's presence on his skin tomorrow, he didn't care if he was walking with a limp so long as he felt truly possessed by his husband.

K'uur had to stifle a laugh as he saw the clouded expression on his husband's face. Oh, he had a fairly good idea of what Ponds expected him to do, and that made his little coup even funnier. Reaching down to press a searing kiss to his love's lips, K'uur couldn't help the smug look that had glued itself to his face. This would be so much fun.

Pulling back, K'uur sat up once more. But, instead of positioning himself at Ponds' entrance, he slowly rose his hips until he had his own opening aligned with his husband's jutting erection. Locking his eyes with Ponds, K'uur slowly slid down inch by delicious inch onto his love's cock. He bit his lip to hold back a loud, keening wail of pleasure. It felt so much better than what he'd imagined...   
Finally sinking down fully, filled up to the brim, K'uur just sat there straddling Ponds' hips like he had no troubles in the galaxy, grinning cheekily at him while trying to catch his breath.  
"Is this to your liking, cyar'ika?" he asked innocently, gazing down at his husband. This would sure be enough to shock him a little.

Letting out a keen of pure delight as K'uur started to sink down on him, Ponds scrabbled for a grip on the blankets. Even in the depths of his desire, running on base instinct and a need to mate, he would never hurt K'uur. Arching up, desperate for anything K'uur would give him, Ponds couldn't find the words to fit what he was feeling. So tight, muscles gripping his erection in just the right way, Ponds knew deep down this wasn't going to last long at all. K'uur was too perfect around him, hot and slick, wrapped around him like a second skin.  
"More...please." Ponds gasped, crushing the bedding in his hands as his pleasure spiked with each twitch from K'uur's inner walls. "Please...Sir."

One thing was for sure: if they kept this up, this was going to be a very short wedding night. Then another thing K'uur knew, and that was that he didn't care one bit about logic. Despite it having been a while since they last did this, K'uur's body remembered exactly how it felt to have Ponds inside of him. His muscles easily relaxed around his love's length, and in his contentment he just closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted to remember this night, these sensations flowing through his body. 

Hearing Ponds' pleas, K'uur cracked an eye open. Smiling softly while shaking his head, he moved his hand up to caress his husband's face. He could feel Ponds' throbbing inside of him, and the temptation to move were getting overwhelming. But he wanted to say this.  
"One rule: stop calling me that. There's no rank to pull us apart now, so let's not pretend there is."  
Having said that, he could no longer ignore his instincts telling him to move. Slowly he rose his hips, groaning when he felt how Ponds slid out of him. Then he pushed himself back down, keening in surprise at the unexpectedly wonderful sensation it brought. For a couple of times K'uur repeated the action, making sure both to clench himself around Ponds and to find his own sweet spot that would make him see stars.

Barely able to think, much less acknowledge what K'uur had said, Ponds just groaned and clawed at the bedding again. He wasn't going to last like this, it was too much, too good. Oh kriff, this was going to be over so quick at this rate. Back arching, Ponds tried to press deeper and speed their pace but K'uur had him effectively pinned. He was slowly going mad and nothing would stop him. K'uur was too perfect around him, muscles rippling as he started to ride him slowly.  
"Fek...oh fek...so good." Ponds gasped, mind totally blank beneath the pleasure thundering through his veins.

Taking pity on Ponds who really seemed to have lost it by now, K'uur sped up the pace a bit. It felt so good...like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Had Ponds always been this huge? part of his mind wondered, the one that clearly had gone haywire just now. K'uur didn't care. He responded to his husband's gaps of pleasure with moans of different volumes, feeling like he could explode at any moment now. He probably would do just that too, given time. Fek this would really be the death of him...

Feeling like he wanted some action in their lovemaking, K'uur pressed himself down against his love's frame before he used all of his strength to roll them around once more, leaving him trapped under Ponds. The new angle of penetration had K'uur shrieking out loud in pleasure. Oh shab, if it was even possible, his love were pressing even deeper into him! Gasping and moaning out loud, K'uur knew he wouldn't last long at all. Not if this alone felt so good.

Needing a moment to catch up with their new position, Ponds eventually gripped K'uur's hips firmly and thrust hard. Oh fek, he wasn't going to last long like this. Feeling K'uur riding him had been incredible but this was so much more. Spreading his knees and adjusting K'uur's legs over his shoulders, Ponds found a fast yet gentle rhythm, one bound to blow both their minds and leave them panting for breath. 

Adjusting his angle, Ponds shifted his body without losing his rhythm and planted his hands beside K'uur's head. Oh fek, this was too much. K'uur squeezing him in just the right way, arousal flying high as he leant over his beloved. Panting for breath, Ponds leant down to steal another brief kiss and groaned deep in his throat.  
"Oh fek...so close...so close."

K'uur were literally trapped by Ponds' gaze, the arms placed on each side of his head just adding to the feeling of being caged. Of course he loved it. It made him feel really uncomfortable to take control over Ponds, this more submissive state suited him more. Besides, it felt oh so good when Ponds pressed against his sweet spot like that... 

By now his hips had started to move on their own accord, moving up to meet Ponds' delicious thrusts each time. His hands ran wildly across his love's back, clawing their way across it. Surely there would be nasty marks there later on. Again, he didn't care. Ponds wanted to feel him, so taadaa!   
"Come for me, my love," he gasped out, clinging to Ponds desperately. "I know you want it."

Dropping to his elbows, taking great care not to crush K'uur under him, Ponds thrust mindlessly against his beloved. Release was moments away, he could feel the heat building in his groin. Left hand coming down to grip K'uur's hip, Ponds ducked his head and latched onto K'uur's right shoulder, sinking his teeth into the firm muscle there. Biting down hard enough to leave a mark but not enough to break skin, Ponds growled low in his throat and pounded his love.

With an animalistic growl around his mouthful, Ponds slipped his left hand around to press their hips together as tight as possible as he found his release. Screaming without releasing his teeth, Ponds heaved against K'uur as his pleasure burst and he came hard. Panting for breath, Ponds released his jaw and managed to get back up on one elbow so he could look at K'uur.  
"You okay, cyar'ika?"

K'uur yelped out in surprise as his love's teeth sank down into his shoulder. Now this was really turning out into something. Wildly he bucked his hips up against Ponds', but that was hard given the crushing hold his husband had him caught in. K'uur wondered just where this hot creature had been buried for so long, but he were immensely happy for it having decided to rise its sexy head in this moment. Writhing and whimpering underneath Ponds, K'uur knew that he probably looked like an idiot. But how could he care when all he knew was that he were slowly losing his mind?

Once, K'uur had been standing a little too close to an explosive going off. That had left him with an ugly scar on his chest. But this...feeling Ponds come inside of him, he'd be damned if the two different feelings had similarities. Only that feeling his love fill him with warmth was a lot more pleasurable feeling than having half of his chest scorched. A loud shriek escaped him, and it did take him a long while to calm his breathing. Gazing up with clouded eyes at his love, K'uur had to struggle to come up with a reply.   
"I- I'm fine cyar'ika..." he gasped out. The sting of the bite would come later. Now he could only think of how desperately he wanted to get off himself.

Swallowing quickly and hoping his legs could hold him, Ponds withdrew slowly and sunk back to rest on his knees for a few moments. Kriff, now that had been intense and now the room was spinning around him. He regretted that he'd left K'uur behind in his rush for release but Ponds had a plan for K'uur's throbbing erection.

Bracing his weary body with one hand, Ponds traced the other lightly across K'uur's hole, collecting his release on crooked fingers. Giving his love a seductive look, Ponds leant forward a little more and smeared his release over his own hole. Back arching and head dropping forward at the fresh bolt of pleasure rushing through him, Ponds worked two fingers in quickly and groaned as his dick twitched in arousal.

Slipping his fingers out once he felt he was sufficiently stretched, Ponds slumped down onto the bed and parted his thighs as he gave K'uur a desire filled look.  
"How would you have me, dearest?"

It was sweet torture to having been left behind like that. K'uur missed the presence of Ponds inside of him, but at the same time he knew that whatever his love had in mind for him now would leave him screaming. Like what they just had done had been a mere opening act.

For a while he just kept his eyes on Ponds, feeling the dizziness that came with having been fucked so good without getting any release. Then the touch against the oversensitive skin around his opening sent his gaze crooked. A low, guttural moan escaped him as he arched up against the touch, wanting so much more than that. Tantalized, unable to look away, K'uur looked at Ponds while breathing heavily. His cock twitched in an almost painful way of approval when Ponds slipped two fingers inside of himself, the release that only moments ago had been inside of K'uur easing the way. The sight of that combined with the pleasure written all over his love's face brought out a low, possessive growl from deep down in K'uur's throat. Fek, people already doubted that clones had souls, and here he were behaving like an animal? Didn't matter. The one who didn't react like this to the sexiest thing he'd ever seen wasn't in their right mind. 

Given those few words of permission, K'uur practically pounced on Ponds like a predator, pinning his arms down while he stole a burning kiss from those lips. Pulling back, K'uur stared down at his love with eyes black of desire.   
"Just like this," he growled out while guiding Ponds' legs up over his shoulders. "If this is what you've reduced me to, then don't complain about the limp you'll have by tomorrow."  
Unable to hold himself back any longer, K'uur positioned himself at Ponds' entrance and thrust hard inside, seeing white spots in front of his eyes from the pleasure. Ponds were so deliciously tight around his aching member, gripping him hard in just the right places.

Howling his pleasure as he was taken hard, Ponds clawed at the sheets and arched up into his love. K'uur had never taken him this way before and Ponds couldn't think why he had never coaxed his love to let go and take him hard like this. Every other time they had been together like this, Ponds had his legs around K'uur's waist but this was so much better.  
"Don't care about the limp or the marks." Ponds gasped, head falling back to expose his throat. "So good."

Not even trying to be quiet, Ponds cried out with every brush against his prostate, writhing beneath K'uur as he felt his arousal starting to boil over again. He wasn't going to last, as much as he wanted to hold out for K'uur.

The loud cries coming from his love were like music to his ears. Mostly because they probably meant he were doing something right. He'd never known that he could lose it like this, that he could just enjoy the action for what it was. Always did he think so much...it was nice not to for a change. 

Banning all coherent thoughts from his head, K'uur thrust hard in and out of Ponds, and he found that he really loved this new position they were in. If it was even possible, it allowed him to go deeper, to feel more. It was a dizzying sensation, and he knew that this weren't to last much longer. Not that he really wanted to, Ponds had already gotten off once this night, and judging from the way he looked in this now, were about to come for the second time. Just growling in response to his husband's words, K'uur attacked the exposed throat laid bare before him with his newfound...intensity. Harshly, weighting towards sloppily, he bit, sucked and nipped hard at the soft flesh. That would leave a mark, which was good. With a breathless chuckle, K'uur realized that that would leave no doubt that Ponds were his, had there been one before. Just like he wanted it to be.

Eyes fluttering closed, Ponds keened with joy and pounding arousal as K'uur's teeth sunk into his throat. They hadn't really discussed kinks but damn it, Ponds couldn't resist when someone bit him like that. It had been a long time since he'd trusted anyone to do it, not since command training on Kamino but it still set him off every time.

Clenching down on his love, Ponds tried to hold back and wait for K'uur but he was so close to the edge. His arousal was almost painful, durasteel erection drooling on his abdomen.  
"Fek...fek...fek." He panted, moaning loudly as his pleasure rocketed through him. He had to hold out, he had to wait for K'uur. "Fill me, cyar'ika."

Releasing the flesh he'd had in his mouth with a groan, K'uur threw his head back in pleasure. Gulping in his breaths now, the only thing coherent that came out of his mouth were loud keens and moans. The way Ponds clenched down around him, it was unbearable, torture. Not even trying to hold back anymore, he begun to pound him mercilessly, hoping he weren't hurting his love too badly. 

Hearing those words, something just burst inside of him. All he could focus on were the sensations flowing through his body with the orgasm approaching. Then with a loud shout release overtook him, making him pump even harder and faster before he completely stilled, too spent to move. Fek, he'd never come with such force before.

Letting out a scream that likely rattled the windows, Ponds felt his love filling him with his sweet release and flew off into his own. Back arching again, he clawed at the covers in lieu of being able to grab K'uur and writhed helplessly. No doubt he would be walking funny tomorrow but he didn't care.

Slumping down slowly, Ponds groaned and nuzzled K'uur peacefully. For now he was sated but Ponds knew this night wouldn't truly end until the first rays of dawn kissed their bed. He intended to make the most of tonight until they were both too tired to move.  
"So glad...you never...bit me on...Coruscant." Ponds gasped, eyes drifting closed contentedly. "Can't...shut up...when bitten."

Falling down into an exhausted heap on top of Ponds, K'uur couldn't help but to chuckle breathlessly at what his love just said.  
"Well, I noticed. Do you think we'll have any glass on the windows left after that scream, cyar'ika?" he joked, leaning down to fondly nuzzle the bite marks he'd made. Despite the tiredness, he were in a playful mood. Quickly he licked a stripe over the small wound, groaning a little at the salty taste of Ponds' skin. He knew that they'd keep this up all night, despite it feeling like they'd been up for hours. Yawning a little, K'uur slowly pulled out of Ponds. As nice at it'd felt to be so intimately connected, it'd get uncomfortable soon enough. Besides, they'd have a lot of fun tonight. 

Feeling happy and content, K'uur snuggled up against Ponds' side with a sigh of content. He felt how his eyes were drifting shut in tiredness, but there was one thing he needed to ask his husband first. Peeking up shyly at him, K'uur felt how a blush crept over his cheeks. After all they'd done tonight, this made him blush.  
"I didn't hurt you, cyar'ika? I've never quite...lost it like that before, and I didn't really know how far I could push it without harming you..."

Rolling onto his side and embracing K'uur properly, Ponds smiled softly and pressed a chaste kiss to his nose. He really was the luckiest man alive, there was no doubt about it whenever he looked at his sweetheart.  
"I'm fine, cyar'ika. I'm honoured that you felt safe enough to let go and really enjoy it. I don't mind when things get a little rough and you heard what happens when I get bitten." Ponds grinned, cheeks flushing at the memory. "I can't feel any wind so I think the windows are intact."

Gaze drawn to the spectacular mark on K'uur's shoulder, Ponds chuckled softly and dipped his head to lick at it softly. It would bloom into a stunning love bite but thankfully it was low enough that no one would notice it unless K'uur was shirtless.  
"Get some sleep, cyar'ika, we can have another go later."

Chuckling softly while blushing a bit more, K'uur settled his head to rest comfortably against Ponds' chest. The beating of his heart against his ear had one truly relaxing effect of him, pulling him deeper into his sleepy state.   
"Good," he murmured, already half asleep. "Glass is expensive. And I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt you, cyar'ika." 

Part of him wondered just what 'another go' meant. Surely something super exciting that he'd only dreamt of so far. K'uur feared that it'd have to be Ponds who'd have to take commando the next time, because he simply wouldn't be able to. It really made him feel sick to be in control, but he'd learned to enjoy it while spending time like this. He suspected that was because he felt so comfortable around Ponds. His love. His husband. Fek, that realization still hadn't quite sunk in. Still closing his eyes, K'uur blindly reached out to kiss Ponds on some unknown spot.  
"I still have a hard time believing that we're actually married."

Smiling softly as K'uur lightly kissed his chest, Ponds curled up around his love and closed his eyes, giving in to the need for sleep clouding his mind.  
"My beloved husband, my one and only love." Ponds whispered, running loving fingers over K'uur's back until sleep pulled him under.

As he slept, he dreamed sweetly of perfect moments of peace and family, flickers of a story as yet out of his reach. The innocent laughter of a child. The pride of parenthood. Working hard to build a new life. Witnessing their children growing up. Many nights spent just like this, wedding rings glistening softly in the moonlight through the curtains. Peace for all, the sweetest thought of all.

For a while K'uur were just content to watch Ponds sleep, curled up against his side with a loving smile gracing his face. It struck him how beautiful his love always looked in his sleep, how young and innocent he seemed. For what might have been the millionth time, K'uur thanked whoever or whatever that had made them escape unharmed and now allowed them to live their life in peace. 

His dreams were for once filled with happiness and love. Subconsciously he wondered if it really were a dream, because it seemed so real. As clearly as he always could his Ponds he saw him now, curled up in his embrace and smiling with happiness. Ponds' lips were moving, but he couldn't hear what he said. All he knew was that he felt so incredibly happy in that moment, almost feeling as if he'd accomplished something he had yet to figure out.  
In his sleep, K'uur had a wide grin plastered on his face as he hugged his love even tighter to his chest.


	12. Chapter 12

Waking some time later, Ponds had a brief moment of disorientation before coming back to himself and hugging K'uur close once more. He wondered how long it would be before he could sleep through the night, untroubled by the dreams that refused to leave him. He could only guess what Fox had said when news of his desertion broke and Ponds hated that he had left without a proper explanation but he was so glad he had gone. K'uur was his world, everything else faded into insignificance. Desertion meant survival and happiness, he'd sacrificed his family for a second chance. Even if he could go back, he would have made the same choice every time.

Knowing that it was pointless to chase sleep after that familiar but unnamed scream echoed around in his head, Ponds snuggled back down and watched K'uur sleeping peacefully. He really was handsome, hair draped across his cheek as he snored faintly. Ponds fell in love all over again and very carefully brushed the hair away. He didn't want to wake K'uur while he looked so sweet and innocent.

K'uur made a low, groaning sound in the back of his throat. He were awake, but at what cost? It throbbed in an uncomfortable way between his legs and he felt sticky all over. That warmth around him felt nice, though. Trying to shuffle his hips backwards so that he could settle back against them, K'uur sighed a little. It felt soothing, but it didn't take the unexplainable frustration away. 

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, K'uur tried to pinpoint why he'd woken up on the wrong side. He were fairly certain that it was still their wedding night, and that he should be happy for both of their sakes. But that wasn't the problem, because he still felt happy. Yet he couldn't shake that unnerving feeling off. Groaning again, he turned to see if his husband was awake. Seeing that he were, K'uur tried on a smile for Ponds' sake. Maybe it'd all feel better in a moment.

Humming softly when he felt K'uur stir, Ponds lightly stroked his back and smiled softly, resting their foreheads together. Even in the light of the half moon outside, Ponds could see the shadows in K'uur's gaze. Shuffling closer and enfolding K'uur securely in a full body embrace, Ponds pressed loving kisses to every patch of skin he could reach.  
"Easy now, cyar'ika. You're home, safe with me and far from the war. Relax, I've got you. Let me love you, let me ease your burdens. There is nothing to fear, nothing to worry over and nothing to pull you away from my embrace. I'm here, you're here and that's all that matters." Ponds soothed, starting to gently rock against his beloved mate.

Sighing softly, K'uur returned the embrace, curling up against Ponds tightly. It felt so good that Ponds cared, that he didn't push him away. K'uur didn't know what he'd done to deserve a man like this.   
"I know, cyar'ika, believe me, I'm not likely to forget," he whispered, burying his face in his husband's shoulder. "I just don't know what's wrong. I keep feeling as if something's missing, though I can never figure out what. You are my all, Ponds, but still..."   
Feeling unable to continue, since that would only make him even more frustrated, K'uur focused on rocking back against his love. The strong arms around him made him feel safe, like nothing in the world could touch him, them. It wasn't his love that made bad thoughts creep into his mind, that was just himself. He could only pray that it wouldn't ruin anything between them now. This was supposed to be the happiest night of their life, not an angst party. Pressing a soft kiss to Ponds chest, K'uur allowed himself to just drown in the sensation of being held and cared for. Ponds would understand, he always did.

Nodding slowly, Ponds could fully understand K'uur's feeling of something missing. He felt it too but he tried to hard to bury it beneath the daily workload and his love for the amazing man beside him. He knew why the feeling existed, Fox had explained it on Ponds' first day with the Guard. Fox wasn't that much older but he knew so much more. Cut had added to the explanation, but he had no advice on how to deal with it. He just buried it so he could focus on his family and the farm.  
"Clones weren't meant to find happiness in small groups. We were designed to work in larger companies, not individually. That feeling is our brothers, the ones that we trained with and lived with for so long. In time it will ease but no one can be sure when that will happen." Ponds offered, wishing he had a better answer. "It's normal, or so Cut tells me. I feel their absence too, but I know we made the right choice."

Not sure what else to do to help ease the burden K'uur was feeling, Ponds wriggled closer until there was no space left between them. They would have to learn how to deal with the burden of being alone but it would never be easy. All they could do was hold onto each other and hope for a brighter future.  
"I love you, together we can get through this. Lean on me, I will keep you safe." Ponds promised, tracing idle patterns on K'uur's lower back. "Talk to me, tell me what you want."

K'uur's eyes widened in realization. Of course he missed his brothers, he did it every day. Small things such as Raven's mechanical snoring or Hound playing around with Grizzer. But hearing that...it sounded plainly cruel. Added to the feeling that clones were disposable, their only purpose being to fight and die on the battlefield. Holding on close to Ponds, the only one who truly mattered in his life, K'uur felt so immensely grateful that they'd taken this chance.  
"Cyar'ika, I'd take the loneliness a thousand times if it only meant I could be with you." he whispered into Ponds' shoulder. And it was true. He'd lose it all for his love.

Clinging to Ponds, K'uur pressed soft kisses wherever he could reach. He knew that from here things could only get better. All that mattered were that they had each other. No one could pull them apart and call them defective. That thought made him smile.  
"You know how much you love me? I love you twice as much," he chuckled, abandoning his nest against Ponds' shoulder to look up at his love. Almost as quickly as his joking mood had surfaced, K'uur sobered, reaching a hand up to caress his love's face.  
"What I want? You're not ready for that conversation, cyar'ika, because it's so great many things," K'uur sighed, smiling a little.   
"I want you to always be there with me, which is silly, because I know you will. I also want a bigger family of our own, but that I've already told you. Then I want smaller things, such as morning to come so I won't have to fear the dark..."  
K'uur slowly trailed off, looking up at Ponds with loving eyes. This beautiful man, he didn't deserve him. Yet he were his, and K'uur belonged to him.   
"I want you to take me again, so sweet and gently as you used to when you wanted to help me forget about our misery," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper as he let his finger trail over Ponds' lips.   
"I want to feel safe and loved in your arms, cyar'ika."

Coaxing K'uur to roll over again, Ponds snuggled in close one more and lightly caressed K'uur's shapely chest with one hand. Pressing sweet kisses to his hair and starting to slowly rock against his love, Ponds nuzzled K'uur lovingly and slipped his left hand down to lovingly encourage K'uur's arousal. K'uur wanted sweet and gentle love, so Ponds would do all that he could to reassure his beloved that he was treasured above all others.

Finding that K'uur was still stretched and wet from their last session, Ponds eased inside and set a gentle rhythm, hands and hips working together to create as many loving sensations as possible. He didn't have the words to ease K'uur's mental anguish but he would try to use his body to calm his beloved.

He thought that he must've looked pathetic in those moments he had doubts. It left him so vulnerable, exposed, yes, pathetic was the right term of use. Then came Ponds and eased away all of his fears, sometimes by just being there. Gasping as he felt himself stir from his love's gentle touch, K'uur almost desperately searched out something to hold on to. K'uur settled for Ponds' soft locks, breathing in in relief as he felt his fingers tangle in them. The familiarity of them was something he associated with home, with safety, with Ponds. 

All he could do was to whimper as Ponds slid inside of him, back arching to meet the sudden pleasure. Breath coming in short gaps, K'uur withered and moaned underneath Ponds, feeling as if he could explode from all the sensations that resurfaced. This had been his greatest comfort when they'd still been in the Guard...and it felt a thousand times better now.   
"Yes...more..." he whimpered out, his lips blindly searching for Ponds'.

Shifting a little and trying to recall just how flexible K'uur could be wen he tried, Ponds shuffled his chest back a little without breaking his rhythm. Easing K'uur over a little, Ponds smiled and kissed him lovingly, fingers gliding through his silken hair tenderly. Still lightly stroking K'uur's erection and stroking his chest to enhance his pleasure, Ponds smiled softly and lapped at one perfect nipple.

Sweaty, screaming sex was great but these peaceful moments of easy love were all the most special. They had so rarely had time for slow and easy, now Ponds was determined to enjoy this lazy sex as often as he could. There was a certain beauty in this, and well, K'uur was totally irresistible as he whined in pleasure.  
"Until you can't take anymore." Ponds promised, stealing another passionate kiss. "All good?"

It was all too fekking much. He wouldn't last like this. Breathlessly he took in it all; the steady moves of Ponds inside of him, his hand stroking his cock just the way he liked it, the delicious mouth over his nipple...   
His hands slid down from Ponds' hair to grip tightly at his love's shoulders. Letting his eyes flutter shut as he kissed Ponds back with all he had. 

Keening as Ponds brushed against his sweet spot, K'uur were all but reduced to a melting puddle. If melting puddles could moan, that was.  
"It's...always perfect when...I'm with you...cyar'ika..." he panted out, arching his back up again. Looking up at Ponds, K'uur felt how he were getting closer to his release.  
"I'm not going...to last.." he ground out warningly before he moaned out again. Fek, it felt too good.

Groaning at the sheer desire in K'uur's voice, Ponds shuddered but he resisted the urge to speed things up. K'uur had asked for slow and loving so that's just what Ponds was going to give him. Ponds wasn't ready to cum again, his arousal simmered quietly but he needed more to get off. That was okay though, he had no doubt that K'uur would come up with something to finish him off. He just needed to be patient.

Somehow the waiting for this chance to be inside K'uur made everything all the sweeter. Ponds could never have dreamed of a better wedding gift than the love of his husband.  
"Don't hold back, cyar'ika. Let me see you come undone."

His entire body shook with want. Mouth hanging open, the only thing coming out of it being stuttering breaths, K'uur screwed his eyes shut. Somehow not being able to see what was happening intensified all of the sensations for him. All coherent thought were driven out of him, he didn't feel like talking anyway. 

Clenching down hard around his love, K'uur came silently, save from the low whimper that escaped his lips. This time it didn't feel like exploding, but rather like melting slowly and deliciously. Feeling thoroughly satisfied, K'uur imagined how his pliant body sunk even deeper down into the bedding. Grinning breathlessly, he reached up to press a soft kiss against Ponds' lips.  
"Thank you, cyar'ika," he whispered lovingly. "I love you."

Groaning loudly as K'uur clenched around him, Ponds tightened his grip on his love and watched in wide eyes wonder as K'uur fell apart in his embrace. For all their love making, Ponds had never been in a position to witness K'uur's release in such detail.  
"Anything for you, dearest one. I love you so much." Ponds smiled, returning the sweet kiss.

Keeping his sweet angel tucked close, Ponds lifted his cum stained hand and licked the salty-sweet fluid from his fingers. Still hard and aching, Ponds savoured his treat and settled back down beside K'uur with a happy little whine. He could be patient, but sometimes that was a struggle.

Snuggling in closely to Ponds, K'uur smiled happily with content, eyes still closed. All of his sour mood from earlier were gone, having vanished completely in the loving arms of his husband. Smile growing into a grin as he heard licking noises, K'uur could only guess what his love were doing. With a fine blush to his cheeks he realized that he'd probably managed to make a mess of a lot of things tonight. Their bedding would certainly need a throughout washing...

The rock hard erection pressing up against him were hard to ignore, especially when he felt the burning need to take care of it. There were still some fun things that K'uur could do with it. The hard decision was what. Finding that he really couldn't decide, K'uur roamed his hands over Ponds' chest, until one hand very conveniently found a perfect nipple. Pinching the small bud hard, K'uur grinned up at his love.  
"So what would you want me to do?" he asked innocently as he scratched a nail over Ponds' other nipple.   
"Would you prefer a good hand job? Nothing beats the feeling of that, huh? Or even better, would you like my hot, wet mouth around you? I know you'd love that. And I did promise you a good blowing earlier, didn't I? I'm not the one who gives empty promises, cyar'ika, you know that."

Oh kriff, K'uur knew how to really wind Ponds up. The sharp pressure and scratching against his nipples made it so hard to think, fanning the flames of desire building up in his gut. Ponds didn't want to think, he didn't want to talk he just wanted relief from his burning lust and desire. Licking his lips to catch the last flavours of K'uur's release, Ponds swallowed and tried to get his brain in gear but it was so hard to think.  
"Blow me...cyar'ika." Just three words but it was all Ponds could manage right now.

Giving Ponds' nipples one last sharp pinch, K'uur begun to slide down his body in a torturously slow manner. Everywhere he went he allowed his hands to roam or his tongue to flicker out and lick. After months of practising, he felt like he were finally getting the hang of this. With his face level with his husband's muscular abdomen, K'uur made sure that he had eye contact as he leaned down to lick a long, wet stripe from his navel to the base of his cock, letting his hands trail down to caress his inner thighs. Kneeling down between Ponds' legs, K'uur regarded the rock hard erection before him. Tilting his head to the side with a wide grin, he took Ponds' balls in his hand, applying firm pressure on it while rubbing his thumb over the sensitive skin. Feeling unable to wait any longer, K'uur brought his mouth down over his love's cock, immediately groaning in pleasure at the salty taste of it. His tongue lapped over a pulsing vein, knowing that it'd be more than enough to drive Ponds insane with want.

Such sweet torture, loving hands and little kitten licks scattering across his skin. Ponds barely had the sense to recognise what was happening, much less try to direct anything. He desperately needed this release, the lust and desire clouded everything. His beloved husband, so open and willing to give anything to make him feel good.

Head falling back with a deep groan, Ponds spread his thighs further and wallowed in the sensations K'uur was producing. The tiny hint of pain, a warning of what might happen and the warm, moist cavern of his mouth. Every groan K'uur gave sent vibrations through Ponds and caused him to release a groan of his own. Oh kriff, K'uur really did know how to send him into orbit.

Smiling around his mouthful, K'uur scraped his teeth along Ponds' length. His husband were almost monstrously huge, like all clones were. Enough time spent in the shared showers could back up that statement. If K'uur ever were to thank the long necks for anything, which was something that never would happen, but if he had to, then maybe he'd thank them for their good equipment. Or maybe he should thank Jango Fett for that? Fek, thankfully that was a question that didn't keep him awake at night. 

Getting another idea when he felt Ponds spread his thighs even further, K'uur shifted on the bed so that he were propping himself up on an elbow. His other hand, the one he'd used to tease Ponds' balls, trailed down until it were resting against his husband's taut rear. At the same time as he increased the suction with his mouth, K'uur eased two fingers in between those muscular globes, barely letting them brush against Ponds' entrance. Slowly he begun to circle his fingers around the tight opening, just because he knew that the teasing would be much appreciated. Then without warning K'uur suddenly pushed both fingers inside, groaning as he felt how his own cock begun to twitch in approval. Had Ponds thought that he'd been great before, then this were bound to be even better.

Crying out in pleasure as he was breached again, Ponds arched into the contact and reached down to curl his fingers in K'uur's hair lightly. Flying high again, Ponds hoped to hold out longer this time. A quick tumble was all fine and good but he wanted something more this time. He long for a long, slow session, like they had enjoyed on their first night of freedom.  
"Yes...oh fek...so good...." He gasped, writing in exquisite agony under his love. "I'm yours...all yours."

Encouraged by the sweet sounds of pleasure Ponds were making, K'uur begun to scissor his fingers, stretching his love wide. It always made him feel a little awkward when he, literally, had to probe around in Ponds' ass just to find his sweet spot. But when his fingertips finally brushed against it, it made K'uur feel very satisfied. Mouth still wrapped around Ponds' length, K'uur swirled his tongue around the shaft, then switched to suck on the head before repeating the same action. His mouth were starting to feel a little sore, but he had no intentions of stopping. With his love writhing in sweet agony underneath him, K'uur felt like he really had accomplished something simply by using his mouth and hands. Basically what he always did, but in another fashion than usual.

Totally enveloped in sensation, feeling K'uur wrapped around him inside and out, Ponds had the sudden realisation that he wasn't going to last. K'uur had pulled out all the stops, hitting multiple sweet spots with each motion. Already he could feel the familiar tensing of his abdomen, his release within reach again.  
"Fek...not...going to...last." Ponds ground out, each word such an effort against the rising pleasure. "So good."

Skirting the edge of euphoria, Ponds gave over to the wash of heat and screamed his release into the night. Flying apart under K'uur's knowing touch, Ponds trembled and gasped through the after shocks, his body one big mess of flashing nerves and sated relief.

Feeling Ponds tense underneath him as he came closer to his release, K'uur slipped his other hand down between his own legs, stroking his now rock hard erection at the same time as he pleasured his love. He figured that coming a second time wouldn't be a problem for him, given how incredibly hot this all were. Lapping contentedly at the weeping, throbbing cock, K'uur felt that he definitely wouldn't last long, if this was what it took to undo him. 

K'uur could feel Ponds' release everywhere. Around his fingers his love clenched down hard, bringing back memories from an earlier event that evening. Into his mouth his love's release flowed, making K'uur swallow it all. He had learned to love the salty, slightly bitter taste of it with lots of practice. Hearing his love scream out his pleasure caused K'uur to give his own cock a couple of hard, fast pumps until he with a shuddering body were spilling his own release all over his fingers. Gasping for breath, he slowly pulled back from Ponds, carefully easing his fingers out of his love's sated body. Quickly he crawled up to snuggle against Ponds' warm body, K'uur's own being a boneless heap.

Humming in content, Ponds struggled to get his sated muscles to work but he finally managed to roll over and embrace his love. Still trembling with aftershocks, Ponds snuggled in close and closed his eyes. Maybe now he could sleep for a few hours then try for another release later. They had the rest of their lives to enjoy, they didn't have to try everything tonight.  
"Sleep now, love. We can play some more after we've rested." Ponds muttered, tangling their legs together and starting to drift. "I love you."

K'uur groaned a little and shifted closer to Ponds, letting himself drown in his embrace. Smiling with content, he felt how he begun to drift off again.  
"I love you too, cyar'ika, but we have to think off the children," he mumbled against Ponds' chest. "I love playing with you, but we'll still have to be a little careful..."   
Slowly his heart rate got back to normal as he calmed down, his breathing getting heavier until it were interrupted by small snores. Even as he slept, K'uur could enjoy the feeling of his love's embrace.

That night Ponds slept the best he had in years, his nightmares unable to shatter the comfort he had found here. He dreamed of his family and all the wonders they would see over the years ahead. Anything was possible so long as he had K'uur by his side and an open mind to the possibilities of the future.


	13. Chapter 13

He slept so well in fact that he only properly stirred from his slumber as the sound of someone pounding on the door downstairs and the dazzling light flooding in through the window. Gently untangling from K'uur and pulling the blanket over him, Ponds rolled out of bed and grabbed his nearest work clothes. They weren't exactly clean but he didn't care. He would have been much happier to stay in bed with K'uur but he wasn't going to let their visitor wake his love.

K'uur was happy when his sweet dream from earlier returned, this time sprinkled with other hints of what their future could look like. Two children, their children, he realized, had joined them now, giggling with delight like they had some sort of secret in the safe embrace of their parents. K'uur smiled fondly, feeling so proud of his love and family, but at the same time the stinging knowledge that this was only a dream. So far.

He woke some time later by one very insistent sun shining right in his eyes. Squirming a little, K'uur attempted to snuggle up against Ponds to hide, just to realize that he were alone in bed. With an unhappy whine he rolled over to Ponds' vacant side, noting that the it was still warm. And sticky. Yuck, he'd be busy cleaning today, that much he knew already. What a night... he thought with a sigh as he buried his face in Ponds' pillow, slowly inhaling the scent of his love. He felt relaxed, sated and sore at the same time. That was a weird combination.   
Getting out of bed, the only thing K'uur could find to wear were his dress. Not that he minded. It was soft and comfortable enough. After having slipped the soft fabric over his head quickly, K'uur went downstairs in the hopes to find something to make a decent breakfast on. They could both use one.

Hearing K'uur moving around upstairs, Ponds could only hope he came down with clothes on as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. He came damn close to a fist in the face but training kicked in and he was able to push Cut's fist aside before blood was spilled.  
"Ah, so you are still alive in there." Cut grinned, holding out the basket he was carrying. "Suu saved you some treats from last night and arranged some breakfast for you."  
"Thank you. Sorry about disappearing like that, we needed some private time." Ponds grinned, taking the basket and setting it on the small table inside the door.  
"Oh believe me, I heard your private time. Had I known you screamed like that, I would have suggested we build your home further away from the main house." Cut nodded, cheeks flushing red at the memory. "Thankfully the kids were already long asleep and heard nothing."

K'uur froze halfway down the stairs. Oh fek. The walls apparently hadn't been as sound proof as he'd hoped. Face beaming red, K'uur flew down the last steps of the stairs, coming up to hide behind Ponds' back. He took the basket in his arms, clutching onto it like he could crush it. He'd always found it most embarrassing when people remarked on the sounds coming from their lovemaking.   
"I'm not taking responsibility for anything heard last night," K'uur joked weakly with the beginning of a grin on his face. Thankfully the children hadn't heard...escaping Shaeeah's curiosity that could rival his own were easier said than done. 

Chuckling a little at Cut's equally red face, K'uur balanced the basket on a hip as his other arm snaked around Ponds' waist. His husband looked so happy and beautiful today. K'uur made sure to add 'wild nights' to his already long list of things that made Ponds happy. Turning to Cut again, K'uur gave his brother an apologetic smile.  
"Sorry if we traumatized you for life, ner vod. I'd normally blame Ponds for it since he's the loudest, but I have a feeling that I'm not completely innocent in this either."

Spluttering in indignation at K'uur's implication, Ponds couldn't help the bright flush that spread across his face. He still had a scratch in his throat so he knew they had been loud last night but it wasn't all his fault.  
"Hey now, you can't blame last night completely on my screaming. You howled just as much." Ponds protested, reaching back to lightly slap K'uur on the side. "We'll try and keep it down next time, vod. And we'll make sure the kids don't hear anything they shouldn't."  
"I wouldn't say traumatised, vod. I remember my brothers enjoying some private time." Cut shrugged, scratching at his hair.

Chuckling fondly at Ponds most amusing reaction, K'uur firmly patted his husband on the hip.   
"Now, now, no use in throwing stones, cyar'ika. We're in front of Cut, remember?" K'uur said with a cheeky grin, tilting his head pointedly in Cut's direction. Their dual efforts it might've been, but he'd be damn sure to try and place all the blame on Ponds.   
Grinning sweetly at Cut, K'uur begun to turn to head back for the kitchen.   
"Please thank Suu for the food, Cut. And you have all of my gratitude for helping us with our wedding, vod. It wouldn't have been twice as wonderful without you and Suu." he said, his grin having turned into a sweet smile as he spoke. Turning his head to face Ponds, K'uur directed that smile at him instead.  
"Are you coming, cyar'ika?"

Taking the hint for what it was, Cut chuckled and backed up a step. He wasn't needed here, the love birds deserved some time alone after the hectic couple of weeks they had endured leading up to the wedding.  
"Think nothing of it, K'uur. We're family, that's all that matters. Suu loves to cook so she's always preparing more than we can eat." Cut nodded, thinking for a moment. "We forgot to get you a wedding gift so instead I'll give you a week off to enjoy your wedding before getting back into the hard slog."  
"That's kind of you Cut, thank you." Ponds smiled, so happy to have a week to enjoy what they had. "We'll come up for a meal tomorrow lunch."

Shutting the door and locking it again, Ponds cracked his neck and padded through to the kitchen. He couldn't resist the chance, wrapping his arms around K'uur from behind and nuzzling his hair out of the way.  
"Ah, cyar'ika, we truly are blessed. Now we have a week to enjoy in peace before getting back to the daily routine of farm life." 

Shuffling backwards so that he could get comfortable in the embrace, K'uur smiled distantly at nothing in particular. Blessed, yes, that was the right word to use. Chuckling a little, K'uur begun to unpack some of the treats from the basket, mouth watering as the delicious smell of various dished hit him.   
"I'm always blessed when I'm with you, Ponds. But kindly release me now, I'm starved after having been up all night playing with you." he said, playfully shoving Ponds out of the way as he reached up to grab two plates from the top shelf. Hastily putting some food at the plates, K'uur went over to the table, putting them down where he thought they'd sit. Smiling brightly, K'uur clapped his hands together.  
"Haili cetare!" he said in invitation, sinking down at his chair.   
Humming with content as each flavour of the food exploded on his tongue, K'uur kept his gaze on Ponds as he casually ate his breakfast.  
"So...what are our grand plans for the future? My body won't make getting torn in half by your...well, it won't survive staying in bed for an entire week. And then after that week. What happens then?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the return of cynical K'uur, Ponds sat and tucked into his breakfast. Of course they needed to talk about the future but couldn't he at least try to enjoy their first day as a true married couple.  
"Well, I was going to keep it a secret and surprise you but seeing as you're in such a dour mood suddenly, I guess I'll have to tell you." Ponds sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment.

He'd spent weeks lining this up, preparing three very special surprises for K'uur to help him fully settle into married, civilian life. But in all honesty, Ponds would blow all those secrets if it would remove the darkness that hung over K'uur at the moment.  
"Cut gave me a week from farm work, not a week away from the farm. I thought we could use that week to get ready for the adoption interviewers that are coming next week. We still have to finish planting out the garden and get the other two bedrooms ready. I also planned to borrow the pickup and head over to the Boranth's farm and get you a massiff pup, they've got a litter ready for adoption right now. And thirdly I was going to take you out to the lake where Cut and Suu had their brief honeymoon and enjoy a few days of total realisation and peace."

Staring wide eyed in surprise at Ponds, K'uur were vaguely aware of that his fork hung in one most ridiculing way from his mouth. Of all the things to expect, that had not be one. Suddenly he felt very guilty for his blunt behaviour. Putting the fork down, K'uur slowly got up to stand behind Ponds, wrapping his arms around him while pressing soft kisses to the side of his neck.   
"I don't deserve you, cyar'ika," he whispered into Ponds' ear. Putting a hand underneath his love's chin so that he could tilt his head towards him, K'uur swiftly covered Ponds' mouth with a loving kiss. Coming around the chair without breaking the kiss, K'uur crawled up into his husband's lap. 

When the need for air became too much, K'uur pulled away with barely a breath, their foreheads still touching in an affectionate way. Smiling softly, K'uur reached a hand down to tangle with Ponds', gently squeezing the strong hand that so often had offered him loving touches and reassurance.   
"I would say thank you, but not even a million of them could cover my happiness and love for you. I love you so much. Thank you,"   
K'uur knew he were babbling nonsense now, trying desperately to come to turns with the selflessness his love showed. It just reminded him of how selfish he felt so often. Caressing his love's face, K'uur gazed lovingly at Ponds.   
"Really, cyar'ika, you don't have to do all of this for me. I know it's meant for us too, but-" K'uur interrupted himself mid sentence, biting his lips as he tried to think of how to continue.  
"I don't know what to give you in turn. I want to give you everything, anything in the galaxy that would make you happy. I'm sorry, I'm ruining the good mood, aren't I?"

Hugging K'uur close, Ponds stroking his hair lightly and let him ramble on. Really, was it that much of a surprise that he was doing so much to make his love feel safe and happy here? Ponds would do anything to make us for taking K'uur away from the only home he had ever known. Ponds was used to the isolation, his rank had always kept him apart from most of his brothers so he had learned to live with the constant feelings of loneliness and isolation.  
"K'uur, cyar'ika, slow down." Ponds chuckled, stealing another kiss to silence his love. "You already make me so happy. I am happy because I can call you my husband. I am happy because you share my home and my bed. I need no gifts, only your presence and your love."

The kiss was all that was needed to shut him up. Leaning into the loving touch, K'uur sighed in content against Ponds' lips. He should've known better than to have so little faith in himself, and to know Ponds better than that. But still-  
"I'm overjoyed that you feel like that, but I still want to bring you gifts, cyar'ika," K'uur said with a laugh, snuggling up a little closer to his love.  
"Should anything come to mind, please feel free to mention it, I'll give you everything from a smaller moon to free blowjobs every Sunday, however you like it." he added, winking cheekily at Ponds. It felt so good to laugh and joke around his love, who always appreciated him for what he were and never asked for anything more.

Sobering, K'uur thought back to what Ponds had said earlier. While it all delighted him to the extremes, one surprise had gotten stuck on his mind in particular. Leaning back a little, K'uur looked at Ponds with fondness written all over his face while cupping his love's cheeks with both hands.   
"Do you really want to have a baby...child, my heart?" K'uur whispered, his voice thick with emotions. This was his long time dream of a family of his own with the love of his life coming to be right before his eyes. The realization of that were not so little overwhelming.   
"I know exactly where we can plant the flowers in our garden. It'll be so beautiful, anyone would be lucky to be there. And we'd have to make the room really cosy and warm for the baby. Oh cyar'ika, I love you so." K'uur uttered, pressing his lips to Ponds' once more. He needed the contact, or else it could be all to easy to wave this all away as another one of his dreams. He didn't want that since this was the most beautiful gift Ponds could give him, aside from his love.

Chuckling softly, Ponds held K'uur close and nuzzled his neck again peacefully. He had all he needed here, he could ask for nothing more than what they already had. He had a good home, a loving family and true peace, everything an honest man could ask for.  
"If I think of anything, I will let you know cyar'ika." Ponds promised, resting his head against K'uur's shoulder. "But I know that if you spot something you think I'll like, you won't hesitate."

Keeping K'uur tucked close as he shifted, Ponds looked up at his love with all the affection and adoration Ponds could summon. He wasn't really surprised that of all the surprises planned, this was the one that kept K'uur's attention.  
"My dear heart, I want more than one child. At least two but more if we can support them. I want to start with a girl and a boy, be they siblings from a broken family or two lost children in need of a home." Ponds replied, totally serious with his wishes for the future. "We'd best find you something else to wear if we're going to get the garden finished today."

Nodding his agreement, K'uur flashed another smile. It did make sense to take in two children, even though he had to admit that he hadn't really thought that far himself. But, he found that the thought didn't really bother him. A big family was a good thing, they should know after having spent their entire life surrounded by brothers.   
"Well, cyar'ika, if we can support them, I'm all in." K'uur said brightly, shifting a little in Ponds' grip as he spoke.

The thought of gardening...well, he weren't exactly a person who preferred to be out working in the sun. That was why he'd whole heartedly embraced the household work and the cooking. But given the right motivation, even K'uur could sneak out and do some work. Sliding off his love's lap, K'uur stretched his body a little as he stood up. Force, his back had seen better days... Turning with his wide grin plastered onto his face, K'uur swiftly begun to put away his half eaten plate. The food wouldn't be harmed if he didn't eat it right now..   
"Since you're already dressed, why don't you go out and start while I change?" K'uur suggested. "I'll be out in no time."

Making a mental note to treat K'uur to a relaxing backrub later, Ponds finished his breakfast and stood, chuckling softly as K'uur went racing upstairs. Ponds enjoyed working outside but K'uur was the one with the vision for beauty. He was the one who could create a beautiful garden, Ponds didn't have a clue what he was doing. Ponds had learned how to tend the fields and cycle the crops to break any potential disease cycles but flowers...he was totally out of his depth.

Scratching at his hair, Ponds unlocked the door and stepped outside, stretching wide as he surveyed the bare land in front of their home. His mind instantly started plotting out neat rows and tiny boundaries but he wasn't quite sure if that was what K'uur wanted for their garden.  
"Might as well get started." Ponds sighed, tossing his shirt aside and grabbing the hoe kept by the door. Jumping off the porch, he paced out the garden area and started to scratch out his ideas. If K'uur didn't like it, the shallow grooves would be easy enough to fill in and work over.


	14. Chapter 14

K'uur practically bolted into their room, excited to get started with this new project. He suspected Ponds would need a little guidance when it came to flowers, but it was nothing impossible to learn. K'uur snickered a little as he imagined how awkward Ponds surely felt as he pulled his dress down, simply letting it pool at his feet as he stepped out of it. He felt a small pang of guilt at that. That was his wedding dress, he should treat it with care and respect. Picking it up, K'uur folded it neatly and placed it on a chair. His original thought had been to place it on the bed...but that one was beyond decent.   
It didn't take long until he'd dug out a nice set of work clothes, and after having put it on, K'uur were ready for a nice day out in the garden. Or at least afternoon. He still had to wash their bedding, force save him. 

Racing down the stairs as quickly as he'd gone up them, it was with a satisfied sigh that he stepped outside the door. The sun felt nice on his face, and it was neither to hot nor to cold. Spotting Ponds already at work, K'uur felt eager to join him with the work. Walking up to his love, K'uur gave a big smile as he saw what Ponds had accomplished so far.  
"This is looking good, cyar'ika. I can see that you're learning quickly in the art of flower planting."

Lifting one eyebrow as he looked at the scratches he's left in the ground, Ponds couldn't see the progress K'uur was talking about. All he'd done was scrape out a few little ditches, nothing that K'uur couldn't have done with a sharpened stick.  
"Flower planting? This is how we map out the fields to decide the next crop rotation. Usually on a larger scale but the pattern is much the same." Ponds shrugged, leaning on the hoe lightly. "But if you say I'm learning about flowers, then I guess I'm learning something."

Pressing a quick Kiss to K'uur's temple, Ponds started working the soil over, creating a drainage ditch around the flower bed and loosening up the compacted dirt that would one day become a beautiful flower garden.  
"I thought we could turn that odd shaped patch out the back into a vegetable garden too. Save walking over and raiding Suu's patch all the time." 

K'uur stuck his tongue out at Ponds' words. At the same time he gave his husband a playful shove where he stood so casually leaned on the hoe.   
"Cyar'ika, when it comes to flower planting, I'm the commander. If I say it's good, it is good. Okay?" he said, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Ponds' cheek. Really, it might not have been much, but it was good enough for a start.

K'uur watched Ponds work with big interest. He knew a bit about farm work, but this was not his specialized area, if you said so. But given even the slightest chance to learn something new, K'uur jumped at it. It was an old habit he'd had since he were a cadet. Somehow it'd become some sort of motto for him: you never know when you might need it.   
At first Ponds' suggestion sounded perfectly understandable, but the other half made K'uur snort out loud in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. This time he did give Ponds a push hard enough to send him flailing down to the ground.   
"My "raids" is to keep you fed and happy, cyar'ika. But since I'd very much like a vegetable garden, I suppose I won't go that hard on you."

"Hey, I never said I didn't appreciate the raids but is it really fair on Suu?" Ponds chuckled, grateful he'd had a second to swing the hoe aside before he hit the ground.

Rolling to his feet and getting back to the simple turning of the soil, Ponds couldn't help but smile as a thought drifted through his head. He wasn't sure where it came from but it felt right for the current situation.  
"A farmer does not accomplish great deeds, but he sows his seeds and sees a harvest in good time. There is peace to be found in such gentle achievement." He grinned, flipping another sod of dirt over and breaking it up.

"Cyar'ika, I don't even know what that means," K'uur replied, having a big, silly grin on his face. "But it sounds smart."   
Watching Ponds working methodically had a strangely calming effect on him. Such simple work, yet it could bring so much joy. K'uur felt a tad of sadness slip through his good mood. His brothers fighting the war would never know such simple joy. Would they even find love? K'uur could only hope.  
"I wonder what I'd have said if I'd known about this a few months ago," he said, looking up at Ponds. "I don't know what gave us such luck in life, but I'm immensely grateful that we took the chance. Part of me wonders if they would enjoy this too..." K'uur drifted off as he thought about that. He'd always been good at watching his brothers, knowing how they would react in even the strangest of situations.  
"I think Fox would lull about the same things that you do, cyar'ika. Thorn would eventually find peace...but fek, not without a fight." K'uur chuckled a little and leaned his head against Ponds' shoulder.  
"I'm sorry...I'm ruining the good mood for...what, the third time today? I need to find myself a new hobby."

"It was something Cut muttered a few weeks ago while we were tilling the long field. I guess it brings him some comfort while separated from our brothers." Ponds shrugged, turning the soil he'd trampled down the middle of the first flower bed. "I can't believe it's been seven months since we fled the GAR."

Hugging K'uur close for a few minutes, Ponds sighed as his mind drifted back to their brothers again. He could sometimes see his brothers working around him and Cut had mentioned having similar dreams so Ponds knew they weren't alone.  
"Stone would have loved it here, he used to have a small flowering plant on his bedside table. Tended that plant with all the love and care you'd ever seen. No one could explain it but the plant died when news of his death reached us." Ponds sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Now look who's ruining the mood."

All K'uur could do was to hug back as tightly as he could. Now that made him sad. Stone had been a good man, even if he hadn't known him personally.   
"Poor man. I hope he and his plant are reunited and happy together someplace where war is not known." K'uur sighed, leaning his head to rest against Ponds' shoulder. Somehow these moments of remembering was what made the brothers long gone come back to life. Bringing back the best of them helped K'uur coping.  
"We're terrible, aren't we?"

Pulling back a little, K'uur thought of the unbelievable time of seven months. Had they remained in the Guard, K'uur surely would've been dead by now. That thought in itself was depressing enough to sink a smaller cruiser, K'uur thought with a snort. Then suddenly, out of context, an idea hit him. Looking around the garden-to-be, it didn't take long for him to find the perfect spot. Realising Ponds fully he walked over to it, crouching down to inspect at a closer range. Yes, that'd have to do, he thought with a firm nod. When he looked back up at Ponds it was with a smile.  
"I want to plant a single flower here. Maybe by remembering Stone this way, surely he can share our happiness, or what do you say, cyar'ika?"

Thinking about what K'uur had said, Ponds nodded and headed towards the far side of the barn. Crouching in the shade of the makeshift building, he carefully dug up one of the plants growing there and cradled it in both hands. Returning to his love, Ponds looked down at the ugly looking plant and smiled softly.  
"Cut calls them stone flowers, apparently they aren't much to look at but they're quite rare out here so he lets them grow wild." Ponds explained, looking down at the plant again.

Really, it was an ugly looking plant; short stubby brown leaves covered in little grey-green nodules, brownish-grey stems and a fairly ragged growth pattern. But every time Ponds saw one of these plants around the farm, he was immediately reminded of his old friend.

Looking down at the ugly little plant settled in its new home, Ponds lifted the rambling stalks and brushed more dirt up under them, trying to replicate the way it had been growing beside the barn. Hopefully it would look better after some time to settle in and grow into the space given to it. And maybe, just maybe it would bloom into something amazing as Stone had under Fox's guidance.  
"I know what you mean, love. Here's hoping that Stone is watching over us and sends his love down to help this little plant grow into something beautiful. I've seen some of the wild ones that sit up and bloom deep red. Maybe this one will as well." Ponds nodded, neatly arranging the stalks around the dirt heap.

Wrapping one arm around K'uur's back, Ponds smiled softly and kissed his temple lightly.  
"It's not stupid or naive, it's a way of coping. It's just like that little fox I keep on the windowsill, it's a silly little thing but it brings me comfort that in some small way, our brothers are still with us. We all have our ways of coping with survivor's guilt, as hard as it is sometimes."

Smiling softly while leaning into the embrace, K'uur nodded slowly. It wasn't naive, of course it wasn't. They'd been forced to get their own ways of coping when death had been their companion on a daily basis.   
"I just feel, or used to, that my ways were so simple compared to those of yours. Now the hard part is constantly living in the unknown, are they alive or not?"  
K'uur sighed. What a miserable pair they made at times. Husbands were supposed to be happy and loving, not discussing life and death. But then he supposed that the day they'd be normal husbands would be the day that...he didn't even know. But never was a good word to use. They'd never be normal. And that was fine as long as they had each other.

Playing around in the soil with a foot, K'uur suddenly remembered what they had originally came for. That thought made his smile widen. Why linger in the past when the future would be a million tines more enjoyable? Reaching up, K'uur pressed a soft kiss of his own to Ponds' cheek, if not a little sloppily.  
"I'll go get something that we can actually plant while you continue doing what you just did, okay? I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Sadly, the struggle of life and death is a little too real for us, cyar'ika. It's only natural that we'll be thinking about the survival of our vod for a long time to come. Try not to let it bother you too much, there's nothing we can do anymore." Ponds sighed, looking up at the sky for a moment. "But I keep hoping that some of our brothers might get similar ideas and run from the bloodshed."

Not even trying to keep up with K'uur's rapid mood changes anymore, Ponds watched his lover walk away and pushed to his feet. Retrieving his hoe and cracking his neck, Ponds went back to preparing the beds, wondering just what sort of flowers K'uur wanted to plant out here.  
"I hope you're safe, vode. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing. I just want you to be safe." Ponds whispered, trying to push aside the memories of his brothers as he worked. Now wasn't the time to get lost in memories, they had so much to get done.

The flowers he had in mind were quite beautiful. A few of them would hopefully climb high and shine with a warm, sun-like yellow, while another one would be big, pink and red flowers that'd stay close to the ground. In contrast to each other they looked harmonious, peaceful, just like a young child might appreciate. K'uur could only guess that if he'd been born a civvie child, he'd have enjoyed all kinds of colours. Now he had the chance to do that as an adult instead. The ever returning thought of their future children made K'uur smile in delight as he headed back to his love. Much to his embarrassment he noticed how he were practically hugging the bags with the seed. Blushing a little, K'uur handed them over to Ponds, showing him what he thought would be the best choice.  
"What do you think of these, cyar'ika? I love the colours of those," he said, pointing absentmindedly at a bag to show what he meant. "It'll take some time for them to grow, but you know plants. I think any child would be delighted to grow up with such happy surroundings, don't you think?"   
K'uur grinned like the idiot he were at Ponds, leaning in to smooch him right on the mouth. Ponds deserved happiness and love, and K'uur would so happily provide both of it. Not being able to resist it, K'uur kissed Ponds again, this time a little longer. He hoped Jek and Shaeeah weren't around. This would be hard enough to explain to them.

Accepting the seed bags K'uur presented him, Ponds looked them over carefully, reading the planting instructions and looking across the gardens they were creating. The sunbushes would really brighten up the front of the house and the daislies would create a soft carpet across the beds. But something seemed to be missing; there was no real middle ground between the two. The sunbushes would grow tall and straight, large flower heads turning to chase the sun while the daislies were low and spread out.  
"These will look incredible together, cyar'ika but I think it could be even better with something in the middle. If we plant the sunbushes near the house and put the daislies in these front beds, I thought some rosali shrubs in the middle would look beautiful. White, pale blue and purple maybe." Ponds suggested, turning to look back along the garden beds. "That way we would have a gentle slope in the planting and nothing would shadow its neighbours."

Gently setting the bags down by his feet, Ponds wrapped K'uur up in a hug and smiled fondly at his beloved husband. He was fairly sure Shaeeah and Jek wouldn't come around today, Cut had promised them some peace so Ponds was reasonably sure Cut and Suu would keep the kids away. After all, this was their honeymoon, and no one wanted their honeymoon disrupted.  
"I'm the luckiest man alive to be loved by you." Ponds smiled, brushing some dirt form K'uur's cheek. "We'll make this the most beautiful garden anyone has ever seen."


End file.
